Investing In Safety And Performance On Slopes
With economic recovery proving elusive and our local authorities under continuing pressure to take out cost, how we continue to maintain our open spaces – and in particular the more difficult areas – to the required standard, whilst also continuing to deliver for the taxpayer, has become a real issue.
Simon Richard of www.slopemower.co.uk puts the case for investing in both safety and performance.
Simon said, “Our business is to offer solutions to clients who need to maintain steeply sloping terrain operate a grounds maintenance fleet best suited to achieving efficiencies where life-time costs are concerned.
“Local authorities are faced with some difficult decisions and reductions in budgetary and staffing levels and also cut frequency are having an adverse impact on the quality of our urban open spaces.
Because the maintenance of steeply sloping areas can sometimes be perceived as being too complicated or expensive, some difficult to maintain grassed areas are either not being cut at all or are being cut less often, putting the focus firmly on the machines ability to cope.With budgets under strain, equipment is being retained on the fleet for longer than perhaps should be the case.”
One authority which has invested in the establishment of a fit for purpose machinery fleet is Leicester City Council. Their particular remit includes large areas of housing and highway sites as well as parks and green open spaces, many of which include severely sloping terrain.
Based on their experience of performance, user friendliness and multi-functionality, for some years now the Shibaura professional outfront mowers have been established as the mainstay of their fleet.
The most recent development, in conjunction with their local dealership Outdoor Power Tools Ltd, has been the up-rating of the Shibaura CM374 for safe working up to angles of 20 degrees. For the maintenance of areas where working angles can be up to 30 degrees they use the Shibaura SG280 Slope mower which with it’s ability to perform just as well on large flat areas as on slopes, is one of the most cost-effective tractors currently available.