Townships dig for Chief Executive’s Landscape Award victory

Rochdale Council’s Street Services teams in the four townships, Heywood, Middleton, Pennines and Rochdale, are digging deep once again as they compete for the honour of winning the Chief Executive’s Landscape Award 2008.

Now in its fourth year, the Chief Executive’s Landscape Award will be presented in September this year to the team which the Council’s Chief Executive, Roger Ellis, believes has made the most significant improvement for the community which uses it.

Heywood Township is going for victory this year by enhancing two plots on Bury Street to incorporate a a unique selling point for Heywood. Middleton are redesigning and planting shrub beds at Middleton Gardens opposite the Dusty Miller pub, while Rochdale township is re-landscaping the road frontage and removing large shrubs from St. Mary's Gate.

Since the awards’ inception in 2005, a variety of sites have been put forward for judging by the council’s Chief Executive. From low maintenance sites right through to those that are highly ornamental, environmental improvement teams are given the autonomy to identify sites to improve, but with the rule that the site must have a high visibility in the respective community.

This year, each team has been given a budget of £1,500 from the council’s Environmental Management service’s annual maintenance funds. Should they wish, teams are free to access funding from other sources, such as from other council services, township grants or from private businesses.

Roger Ellis said: “Holding these awards has certainly created a healthy sense of rivalry between the four township teams, the fruit of which is a makeover for four identified areas.

“What’s great about these awards is that not only do our own people have a strong sense of pride for the improvements they have achieved, but ultimately it is the local community that benefits.”

Continuing last year’s site inspection criteria, areas redeveloped for previous Chief Executive’s Landscape Awards will also enter into the judging process. Brought in to encourage the long term future and sustainability of the improvements made, the maintenance of these sites will form a proportion of the marks allocated.

In 2005 the Pennines township was victorius for improvements made to Dale Gardens in Milnrow. Middleton collected the title in 2006 for landscaping and floral displays at the corner of Grimshaw Lane and Kirkway. Rochdale township were last year's winners for landscaping and environmental improvements.