PENARTH MARINA

ESA was instructed to undertake the coppicing of all trees on a steep bank starting in January 2016.

Due to various landslides and poor root hold, it was decided after careful consideration and all the relevant ecological surveys, that coppicing the trees would enable tree cover to be maintained for the future. The existing trees were moving (like subbuteo players) and causing the root systems to lift and allowing soil erosion beneath the lifted root plates. This had lead to various landslides along the bank. This was posing a high risk to the car park below.

A 5 person team comprising of 3 climbers and two groundstaff plus the two man crane team undertook the 4 week operation. After the initial Risk Assessment, All work was deemed safer using a 80 tonne crane and additional abseiling methods. This was used for the entire operation which enabled a safer and more efficient work operation where trees were lifted standing off the bank and lowered to the work area where they were quickly snedded and stacked and then removed off site. The contract ran smoothly and on time.