Lowther were named as primary supplier to the Environment Agency within the North Hub region in April 2018, delivering routine maintenance, vegetation management and pest control works across Cumbria and Lancashire on a five-year framework.
Overview
The North Hub framework covers waterway and vegetation management across Cumbria and Lancashire. As primary supplier for the region, Lowther deliver a wide range of activities including grass and vegetation management, tree management, flood prevention works and invasive weed control. Protection of the aquatic environment is central to all planning and operations across the contract.
Works Undertaken
Work across the framework includes grass and vegetation management on riparian zones, waterway-adjacent tree management, invasive weed control and flood prevention operations. The fleet deployed includes Metrac mountain tractors and robomowers with a range of cutting heads, suited to the specialist management of sensitive vegetation on steep gradients adjacent to watercourses and catchment areas.
Robomowers are deployed where access is limited or where flora and fauna require protection, reducing the risk of damage to riparian zones that conventional wheeled or tracked machinery would cause.
Flood prevention works under the framework have included the removal of fallen trees and debris from major watercourses across the north of England. Works adjacent to the Dutch River near Goole involved clearing trees and scrub from the riparian zone to reduce scouring risk, with the resulting areas cultivated, power-harrowed and seeded with grass.
