30-00 - Landscaping

30-01 General

a. The adoption of landscaped areas or grass verges other than grass service strips is not accepted by NYC.  They shall be taken on by a maintenance company or other third party that has been approved in writing by the Engineer.

See Chapter 19 of the NYC Design Guide for further information.

b. Areas of land outside the adopted highway but within the ownership of North Yorkshire Council shall be landscaped in accordance with a design approved in writing by the Engineer.

30-02 Topsoil

a. Topsoil shall comply in all respects with BS 3882 and samples shall be approved by the Engineer.  Unless agreed otherwise in writing by the Engineer soil shall not be imported onto the site from another source.  All soil shall be of good quality medium loam, free from stones over 50mm in size.

b. Areas to be grass seeded or turfed shall have no less than 150mm depth of topsoil.  

c. Areas to be planted shall have a minimum of 300mm of topsoil.

30-03 Grass Seed

a. Grass seed shall only be sown at the appropriate time of year, and when weather and soil conditions are suitable.  The seed shall be sown at a spread at a rate of 25-30g per m².

b. In rural locations, the grass seed shall be an appropriate approved mix with wild flowers included in the seed.

c. In urban areas the grass seed shall not contain Ryegrass but be a hard-wearing mixture.

30-04 Turfing

a. Turf shall comply with BS 3969.  It shall not be laid on extremely dry or water-logged ground, frost and snow shall be avoided.  If the turf is laid during dry weather, it shall be watered no less than every other day.

b. Turf shall be laid stretcher bond, and without gaps on well-worked topsoil that has been raked even.

c. The turf laid shall comply with the seed requirements of 30-03.

30-05 Planting

a. Any planting shall be agreed in writing with the Engineer prior to any landscaping works commencing on site start. (See appendix E)

b. Lateral clearance of any planting adjacent to the highway shall be in accordance with NYC Standard Hedge / Rail Offset detail that can be made available upon request.

c. All plants used shall comply with Appendix E and the NYC publication “Trees within New Developments in the Highway” (Appendix F).

d. Areas of general planting outside the highway shall not include species that may be predicted to grow over any part of the adopted highway network within one growing season.

e. Any trees or vegetation that are found to interfere with the normal use of any new or widened path, cycle track or road shall be removed unless agreed otherwise in writing by the Engineer.  The work shall be undertaken at the Developer’s expense and to the Engineers satisfaction prior to the area being opened to public use.  Attention is drawn to Section 154 of the Highways Act 1980 and to NYC Guidance for cutting back overhanging foliage. See Appendix 19-2 of the NYC Guidance for further information.

30-06 Street Trees

a. Planting of trees adjacent to or within the adopted highway shall be in accordance with the table below:

b. When trees are permitted within the adopted highway, they shall be provided with root protection approved in writing by the Engineer prior to any landscaping works commencing on site.  The root protection shall be either a tree root pit or a root barrier a standard detail can be made available upon request.

c. The type of street tree(s) to be planted within or adjacent to the highway shall be subject to agreement with an experienced landscape architect / Abhoriculturalist, together with a suitable maintenance protocol until the tree is established. Commuted Sums may be applied by the Local Highway Authority.

30-07 Deleterious Materials Adjacent to the Adopted Highway

No forest bark or other deleterious materials shall be placed adjacent to the highway (including service verges and footways) such that it could spread onto the highway.  Care shall be taken when planting near the highway to ensure the level of soil and other deleterious materials is below the level of the adjacent pin kerb.