Willerby Landscapes Ltd

Willerby Landscapes Ltd We are a BALI Award winning commercial landscaping company founded in 1983 with the intention of pro

2013 saw us celebrate 30 years of successful high profile projects under our belt, such as hard and soft landscaping at Canary Wharf London, Bluewater Retail Park Kent, Liverpool ONE Paradise Street regeneration and One Hyde Park in London, we continue to expand on our services to provide enterprising landscaping solutions and innovations for our clients.

Yes, it has been a long time since our last update, and yes, a lot has happened since the Chairman & Managing Director J...
23/10/2019

Yes, it has been a long time since our last update, and yes, a lot has happened since the Chairman & Managing Director John Melmoe retired back in March 2017. The company continues to go from strength to strength having installed many prestigious projects in and around London, from Paddington Central, White City Media Hub, Albert Docks Phase 1, IQL Stratford and the ongoing works at Kings Cross to name just a few. Several unique private residential installations have also taken place, but obviously we have to keep shtum about those!

Roof gardens continue to be in trend at the moment with several new contracts to fulfil in the coming months and later next year. From Google’s new HQ roof garden in King Cross, Facebook’s new office roof garden also in King Cross, 100 Liverpool St, 80 Fenchurch St and Battersea Power Station roof garden, these projects have certainly focused our minds on the logistical and health and safety aspect of the works for our operatives.

With this in mind, we have been working on developing a bespoke reusable lifting bag and a mobile App to monitor the bags condition. Having researched the marketplace for an existing software solution, it became evident that we would have to develop our own App to suit our needs. The mobile App will allow us to facilitate the lifting bag requirements in meeting LOLER (The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) and give our operatives a tool to monitor & record the safety checks of the bags before lifting. Not only are the bags environmentally sound, for no bulk bag wastage will incur, it is the design of the bag and lifting mechanism which will result in a reduce number of lorries to site when delivering materials such as soils. This reduces the carbon footprint of our works and also ensuring the safety of our operatives by the way the bags are lifted to the roof.

Final presentation of our innovative design and mobile App took place recently and given the thumbs up from industry experts…so watch this space for more info on this unique development shortly.

Other developments are on the Willerby website. We have this past year taken 360-degree photos on some of the projects and where possible have also identified some of the planting palette within the images, this is especially important for horticultural students who regularly access the site. Take look and explore this exciting addition to our website.

Maintenance has also been a key focus to our business. Where we are required to maintain the installation, for a given period following completion, on some of the larger sites we have recommended to the client that it would be cost effective in keeping the standard of the scheme to have a permanent gardener on site within our contract. The client having agreed to do so, we have then employed gardeners and manage them which has benefits to the client in continuity of deliverable, react to issues there and then rather than later by the mobile crew, expertise from the centre, but more importantly being seen one of the estate team as well as a Willerby operative.

On the 31st March our Chairman and Managing Director John Melmoe took early retirement and said farewell to his colleagu...
07/04/2017

On the 31st March our Chairman and Managing Director John Melmoe took early retirement and said farewell to his colleagues at an emotional meeting at our Four Elms Nursery.

The lads wished John well as a new chapter in his life begins and the mantle for heading up the company was past to Rick Davies. John’s retirement has been in the planning for several years and the company has identified the roles that he performed and plugged the gaps by promoting internally, training individuals as required and bringing in new blood.

As Rick takes the helm, it will be 'business as usual' and the philosophy of the company will remain as it has done for the preceding 32 years.

Commenting on John’s departure, Rick says "The thing you can't replace is John the character. You can share passion and mental, toughness, but you can't replace the person, so we won't try. We have a great team and work on a very simple philosophy of paying our staff well, enjoying our successes as a team, sharing our problems as a team and empowering people to do the right thing at all times, safe in the knowledge that they will not be pulled up in the event that a problem arises."

Regarding John’s relationships with clients, Rick stated “Our client base is exceptional and we value each one very highly. It is true to say that some associate very strongly with John but equally others have built relationships with the business outside of John’s influence. The key is to continue to deliver the same quality of service to every client whilst staying true to the company’s philosophy of quietly delivering at all times.”

So as Willerby Landscapes and John Melmoe enter new chapters, John leaves with this statement “The Company has been formed on a platform of self-belief. I have been fortunate enough to have worked with some fabulous guys and girls, some truly great characters. I’ve been in a position privileged enough to give people the opportunity to excel and succeed to the best of their ability, both inside and outside of the business. In return they have given me great support and enjoyment for the past 32 years. I leave the company in great hands and will watch the ongoing development of the business with interest and pride.”

Well, we did it again! On Friday 2th December at the 40th Anniversary BALI National Landscape Awards 2016 lunch at the G...
05/12/2016

Well, we did it again! On Friday 2th December at the 40th Anniversary BALI National Landscape Awards 2016 lunch at the Grosvenor House hotel London, we were awarded the BALI 2016 Principal & Grand Award for the Regeneration of King’s Cross. This is our 6th BALI Grand Award, an unprecedented achievement.

Receiving the Grand Award is recognition from within the industry of a quality installation which has been achieved by a culmination of working with such a focused Client Team in Argent LLP, and with an enormous amount of credit due to our soft landscaping and maintenance teams for managing to consistently deliver a quality product in very difficult circumstances.

Seen here celebrating and collecting the Award from left to right Green-tech’s Chairman, Richard Kay the Awards headline sponsor, Kym Jones from Applied Landscape Design, Des Smith our Head Gardener, Andrea Dates, Townshend Landscape Architects, Jason Smith our Contracts Supervisor, Julia Finlayson Project Manager (Public Realm) from Argent LLP, John Melmoe our Chairman & Managing Director, Antony Bdzola from Applied Landscape Design, Anthony Peters from Argent LLP, Ken Trew Senior Projects Director Argent LLP and writer, broadcaster and former MP, Gyles Brandreth.

Certainly been a while since we updated our page; reasons being that a number of our works have been on prestigious resi...
13/10/2016

Certainly been a while since we updated our page; reasons being that a number of our works have been on prestigious residential or corporate client projects where confidentially is requested and respected. Needless to say though, we have been busy bees on a number of other projects, some which can be reported on, so what has been going on in the world of Willerby Landscapes?

North West Cambridge Development continues with three of our operatives receiving Gold Quality Awards for work completed on the cricket wicket and pitch. The King’s Cross London transformation project, which we have entered for this year’s BALI Awards under the category Regeneration, has also won an Award but we will not know until December, so everything is crossed. The BALI judge visited the estate in early August and was blown away with the scale of the works and quality of the maintenance, so well done lads, both construction and maintenance teams.

We entered one of our King’s Cross gardeners, an apprentice we took on last year, into the Borough of Camden’s Apprenticeship Service Awards back in April this year under the category ‘Best Progression by an Apprentice’. We were delighted that he not only scooped the category Award but also the Apprentice of the Year, so well done Aaron.

As for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, for the first time since 2010 we are temporarily off site with the completion of Here East transformation works (the old International Broadcast Centre). Legacy projects are continuing with potentially further works on the table to tender for.

We installed a new roof garden at 30 Cannon Street, finished off works at the Fitzroy Place, Tate Modern and we continue to work on the Nova project at London Victoria. We have also been working closely with Dan Pearson on the Garden Bridge procurement programme, sourcing trees and shrubs as per his planting palette.

As previously reported we are very active in supporting community engagement projects and recently fulfilled tours of the QEOP South Plaza Pleasure Gardens for local Garden Clubs. Additionally our works at the new American Embassy, currently being constructed on the south bank, has enable us to support the American Embassy staffs annual Day of Service to mark the anniversary of 9/11 by supplying materials for their volunteer work at an inner city primary school, St George's and the ROSE Community Centre in Wandsworth London.

Whilst we periodically post updates of our current works and activities, we thought it would be nice to share with you s...
02/02/2016

Whilst we periodically post updates of our current works and activities, we thought it would be nice to share with you some of our community engagement activity.

Throughout the year we support many charitable initiatives involving horticulture, along with supporting community landscaping projects.

Last year having installed the award winning Sky Garden, we became a signature donor to the 20 Fenchurch Street Legacy Fund (20FSLF) which offers businesses a unique opportunity to support a range of community organisations working to improve employment prospects of disadvantaged residents in East London. We also support special days when schools visit the Sky Garden. Recently students from Oak Lodge School in Barnet were ‘entertained’ by one of our garden team. The students just loved our Matt who gave them a presentation and tour.

Our involvement as Planting Contractor for the Garden Bridge has seen us supporting the Garden Bridge Trusts Youth Board. The Youth Board involves students aged between 8 and 14 from St Clement Danes Primary School and Pimlico Academy in Westminster, and Oasis Academy Johanna Primary School, and Oasis Academy South Bank in Lambeth. Its purpose is to further the education of primary and secondary school students in horticulture, design and engineering for interest or to benefit career opportunities. This links in with The Trust’s aims to promote environmental and horticultural understanding.

The recent session comprised of an interactive planting and horticultural class from designer Dan Pearson who is designing the garden for the project. The students then designed their own garden using the plants supplied by us and which will feature on the Garden Bridge.

Whether it is organising and constructing the local annual Four Elms Fete Maze, sponsoring a local junior football team or conducting tours at the Olympic Park for garden societies, we take pride in being able to support community projects whenever we can. Photos by kind permission of Oak Lodge School and students and students of the GBT Youth Board.

We won a BALI 2015 Principal Award for Soft Landscape Construction (Non - domestic) - Construction Cost Over £1.5 millio...
07/12/2015

We won a BALI 2015 Principal Award for Soft Landscape Construction (Non - domestic) - Construction Cost Over £1.5 million for the Sky Garden, 20 Fenchurch St at the BALI Awards Luncheon last Friday.

The judges’ comments on the project stated;

“The health and safety and logistical challenges presented by this project were mind-boggling. The contractors achievements are quite remarkable and are a testament to both the importance they place on highly detailed project management and their extensive horticultural expertise”

Congratulations to Matt Ainscow Director Willerby Landscapes and his team for the success of this installation.

07/12/2015

Transporting trees to the 37th Floor of the Sky Garden

It’s that time of the year where the festive season is fast approaching and we find ourselves installing Christmas trees...
30/11/2015

It’s that time of the year where the festive season is fast approaching and we find ourselves installing Christmas trees in Canary Wharf, London.

Over the weekend eight trees were installed; three down at the new Crossrail development, four in Cabot Sq and one on the top of Reuters Plaza stairs. The Cabot Sq. trees are 40ft tall and weigh in at 1 tonne each.

A self-erecting tower crane is needed to lift the heavy crates, which secure the trees in position, along with lifting several bags of ballasts, then of course lifting the trees into the crates to be aligned and if necessary, further chain-sawing the trunk to fit comfortably within the crate.

Our experienced team battled against the cold and strong winds all day to get the trees erected so that the lights could be put on them and for the public to enjoy.

30/11/2015

Santa may have flying Reindeer....we have flying Christmas trees.....Installing one of the 40ft, 1 tonne Christmas Trees in Cabot Sq Canary Wharf

Over the past few months there have been some very interesting debates within the media and public around the Garden Bri...
20/10/2015

Over the past few months there have been some very interesting debates within the media and public around the Garden Bridge project.

We experienced the same debates during our time at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and during the installation of the Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch St, both of which ended with public acclaim and are enjoying thousands of visitors (try getting up to the Sky Garden on an evening for a visit to see what we mean).

So it comes as no surprise to us that we are again feeling the ‘heat’ while we are planning our works as the Planting Contractor for the Garden Bridge. On this occasion we are adding our support to an exciting project that will be part of a new landmark for London and cement its status as the greenest capital in Europe.

https://www.gardenbridge.london/ follow link to leave a message of support.

It’s been a couple of months since our last posting and we are as busy as ever. The Garden Bridge scheme has started to ...
15/10/2015

It’s been a couple of months since our last posting and we are as busy as ever.

The Garden Bridge scheme has started to roll, with us joining Dan Pearson with the tree selections at Deepdale Trees in Sandy Bedfordshire last week. Additionally, Des our head gardener has been supporting the Trust on one of their community projects with Connections at St Martins in the Field London, a charity for the homeless. Rick Davies our Operations Director has also given a presentation at the Landscape Show 2015 in Battersea on how Willerby, as the planting contractor, will be delivering the scheme. So it's not just about installation on the day, it is also about the activity leading up to it and what, as a contractor and public facing, Willerby are involved in doing.

Kings Cross Development continues to keep us busy with a roof garden on the Plimsoll Building, the extension of Handyside Gardens to the Grand Union Canal, continued installation of Gasholder 8 Park, The Triplets Marketing Suite, the Midlands Goods Yard scheme and of course our maintenance of the grounds with a 4 man team.

NW Cambridge Development, the large University of Cambridge project is still ongoing for us and a number of prestigious projects in and around London for private clients add interest to our works. Schemes such as at the Royal Chelsea Hospital Gardens and Tate Modern keep the lads busy too.

We are still working at the QEOP on transformation project at Here East and we shall return to the Stadium to complete installation of the landscape after the Rugby World Cup.

So as we head into the winter months, our thoughts are to the BALI Awards in December where we have entered the Sky Garden, 20 Fenchurch St and to our sponsorship of the Hard Landscaping Construction (non-domestic) under £300,000 Award which we are proud to support.

Oh and if you are looking for employment then give us a call as we are expanding our workforce on the back of some very exciting contract wins.

As we come into the month of August and for some of our operatives it is vacation time, we reflect on what the past 6 mo...
30/07/2015

As we come into the month of August and for some of our operatives it is vacation time, we reflect on what the past 6 months has happened at Willerby Landscapes.

First of all the completion of 20 Fenchurch St Sky Garden and its official opening in January has caught the public imagination and daily queues are seen waiting to take the lifts to the 37th Floor to visit these amazing Gardens which we continue to maintain following our installation. We have entered this project into the BALI Awards 2015 and judging is taking place soon, so fingers crossed!

We continue to be active at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park having completed the challenge of transforming the landscape, which we installed back in 2011, around the Olympic Stadium in time for the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games. Work commenced at Here East, formally known as the IBC Centre during the Games, which again involves legacy transformation landscaping works.

We have started on the North West Cambridge Development landscaping project and a Willerby construction team is in place and will be for a few years on this gigantic scheme.

The Kings Cross Development continues to be a very busy programme for us with the current construction of the Gasholder Park and roof gardens for the Tapestry and Plimsoll Buildings. Since April we have taken over the maintenance of this high profile scheme and have put our head gardener Des Smith in place to actively oversee our team based there.

Of course it goes without saying that we are delighted to have secured the planting contract for the Garden Bridge and we are busy sourcing Dan Pearson’s planting palette through our lead nurseries.

Other projects on the go are 30 Cannon St where we are installing a 1,500m2 roof garden, London Wall and the planting of a living wall and the Royal Hospital Chelsea where we are assisting in the reinstatement of a 17th Century Garden.

Finally, today we launch our new website which now brings a different dimension to our works and company profile. We have optimised the site, added video and made it mobile friendly Enjoy!

Address

Bridge Nurseries
Edenbridge
TN86NR

Opening Hours

Monday 6am - 6pm
Tuesday 6am - 6pm
Wednesday 6am - 6pm
Thursday 6am - 6pm
Friday 6am - 6pm
Saturday 6am - 1pm

Telephone

+441732700646

Website

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