Supply of Tracmaster and associated Equipment

Description

Denbighshire and Flintshire County Councils are changing the approach to grassland management and are moving away from frequent mowing in some areas, to create wildflower meadows within the public realm. The aim of this is to increase biodiversity in line with our recently declared ecological and climate emergency and corporate plan priority for the environment. Wildflower meadow management requires there to be no grass cutting between March and August each year, giving wildflowers enough time to grow, flower, and set seed. Wildflower meadow management also requires the removal of cuttings to reduce soil nutrients and prevent new seedlings from being smothered. This results in a tall grassland sward and large amounts of cuttings. The equipment currently used by both Authorities is designed to cut and maintain short grass swards, and is not suitable for cutting longer swards which form when grasslands are managed for biodiversity. The current equipment does not have collection functionality, as this is not required when grasslands are cut regularly. The proposed equipment required comprises walk behind tractors with interchangeable implements for meadow management and creation. The proposed equipment is specifically designed to create and manage wildflower meadows, and can be used to cut and collect large areas of long grass efficiently.