Ministry of Defence

Amey Defence
Our services
Amey Defence | 2015 - 2022 |

Providing grounds maintenace services at various defence sites

Working on active military sites presents a number of challenges, but our teams have gained a wealth of experience in the operation of sensitive areas with heightened security risks and access  restrictions, and ensure our services fully adhere to military security access and operation policies.

Our role

idverde provides grounds maintenance services to Ministry of Defence (MOD) sites across North West England and North Wales. These include Weeton Barracks, the Dale Barracks, Fulwood Barracks, Hightown Barracks, RAF Valley, RAF Woodvale, RAF Mona, Indefatigable, and the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Stanford Hall.

idverde utilises 16 staff, split into four teams to provide the required works across the various sites, with an additional static team comprising a Head Grounsdman and three Groundsmen based at Stanford Hall.

Services provided

idverde provides a wide range of services across the MOD’s sites, including:

  • Maintenance of prestige front of house areas
  • Airfield maintenance, including annual bottoming out, selective treatment and fertilising, and annual soil sampling to ensure correct nutrient levels for optimum grass growth
  • Sports pitches, multi-use games areas, and back of house training areas, including marking out pitches, scarifying, rolling, and verti-draining
  • Maintenance of explosive fuel areas and bulk fuel installations
  • Tree management
  • Winter maintenance to ensure all areas are accessible every day of the year

Challenges

Working on active military sites presents a number of challenges, but our teams have gained a wealth of experience in the operation of sensitive areas with heightened security risks and access  restrictions, and ensure our services fully adhere to military security access and operation policies.

When working at airfields we are required to schedule our works around flying activities, which generally limits our activities to weekend working.

The explosive storage areas and bulk fuel installations require permits to work due to their sensitive nature. Due to these areas being mounded to contain accidental explosion we use remote-controlled Ransomes Spider bank mowers. Some areas of the banks are so steep that we have developed a system of anchoring one machine from another in order to be able to cut the full area.

As the MOD’s rehabilitation centre, Stanford Hall presents its own unique challenges for the on-site team to ensure minimum disruption to those being treated, while still delivering exceptional standards of work in the grounds to aid patients’ recovery. Due to the patients’ varying injuries and disabilities it is often necessary to change our working methods from day to day. This can range from rescheduling work to avoid times when patients are using areas of the grounds for rehabilitation, to not wearing high-visibility clothing, which can affect patients with neurological conditions.

Our team also enjoys the opportunity to work with Stanford Hall’s horticultural therapy department, and frequently volunteer their time and knowledge to support charity events at the Centre.

idverde is proud to deliver services which support the active operations of Britain’s armed forces, and also to play a small part in the recovery and rehabilitation of those who have given so much to our country.