The Castle Irwell neighbourhood is situated along the River Irwell in Salford and forms part of a local regeneration scheme. The landscaping for this development was designed and built with both community and ecology in mind; central gardens, wildflower meadows and children’s play areas form the heart of this community, with safety and sociability embedded in the design.
Our in-house design team at Wright Landscapes were heavily involved in the project from conception. Our team liaised with developers, architects and planning committees to bring the concept to life, despite many inherent challenges, and produced the final drawings which were approved by the local authority.
Categories
Landscape Construction, Live Projects
Awards
BALI National award winner for Regeneration Scheme 2022
Principal BALI award for Nature conservation & Biodiversity Enhancement 2023
Shortlisted Pro Landscaper Business awards Industry collaboration 2023
Key features
Industry collab
Conservation & Biodiversity enhancements
Redesign to recycled material
Our Approach
The planting and overall design was formulated to encourage and increase wildlife using a variety of methods. We introduced an array of nectar-rich plants to support populations of native pollinators; wildflower areas were designated throughout the development in areas that would otherwise have been lawned, and biodiverse wet meadows were formed in areas needed to serve a dual purpose as natural drainage.
Our designs also incorporated features such as hedgehog highways, bat and bird houses, with a mind to increase connectivity to nearby ecological sights including the River Irwell.
The scheme was situated on a flood plain, requiring installation of numerous water outlets to mitigate the 1-in-100 year flood risk. This required redesigning and engineering of the retaining structures, a challenge our team overcame in a way which simultaneously benefitted the project financially and drastically reduced landfill materials. We were able to re-use large volumes of material on-site, including soil and over 3,000 cubic meters of stone.
This is a large-scale project which has further phases in development, overall producing homes, gardens, and public spaces for over 500 families. Wright Landscapes are pleased to have also been awarded the maintenance contract for this project, enabling us to ensure this fantastic space receives top-quality care year-round.
