Chester Zoo 

Grassland Management 

Client: Chester Zoo
Final Value: £19,807
Start Date: Mar 2023
Finish Date: Apr 2023

CCNW Solution

BDA 02 Old MOD land Grass cutting and bailing: 

This site was an old MOD refuelling site. Due to the nature of the site, several considerations were made, allowing the work to be carried out. CCNW were made aware of the uneven ground due to previous building and storage areas. In addition, concealed pipes and pits were scattered within the site, which the CCNW contracts team marked out so the tractors could avoid hitting these hazards. Debris within the ground protruding, which could cause trip hazards and entanglement in machinery, was located and marked with hazard tape. Areas of shafts and manholes had been fenced off, and care was taken around these when grass-cutting operations were carried out. 

Using agricultural equipment, the CCNW contracts team cut the grassland areas designated to be cut and avoided areas unsuitable for mowing (fenced-off areas, scrub, tree growth, steep banks etc.). The approximate area of the site to be cut was 5ha, using tractors and frail cutter attachments. The cut materials were left for a day or more to dry out. Then the grass was bailed using a tractor bailer attachment and then removed to a pre-defined location storage area within the site.

BDA 02 Old MOD land Grass cutting and bailing: 

This site was an old MOD refuelling site. Due to the nature of the site, several considerations were made, allowing the work to be carried out. CCNW were made aware of the uneven ground due to previous building and storage areas. In addition, concealed pipes and pits were scattered within the site, which the CCNW contracts team marked out so the tractors could avoid hitting these hazards. Debris within the ground protruding, which could cause trip hazards and entanglement in machinery, was located and marked with hazard tape. Areas of shafts and manholes had been fenced off, and care was taken around these when grass-cutting operations were carried out. 

Using agricultural equipment, the CCNW contracts team cut the grassland areas designated to be cut and avoided areas unsuitable for mowing (fenced-off areas, scrub, tree growth, steep banks etc.). The approximate area of the site to be cut was 5ha, using tractors and frail cutter attachments. The cut materials were left for a day or more to dry out. Then the grass was bailed using a tractor bailer attachment and then removed to a pre-defined location storage area within the site 

BDA 08 (wet grassland meadow)

This meadow area was approximately 0.3ha, the works were carried out at the end of September as it was a wet site. All the cut materials were removed off-site and transported to the zoo’s Woodside Farm.

BDA 10 (dry grassland meadow)

This meadow area was approximately 0.4ha, cut with the tractor and frail attachment, and bailed. All works were carried out at the end of September at the same time as the other meadow areas were cut. All the cut materials were removed off-site and transported to the zoo’s Woodside Farm.

Chester Zoo GCN Mitigation fields grassland Cut & Lift 2022

Designated Area A

CCNW carried out grass cutting on approximately 2.2 ha of the GCN mitigation field, leaving a 6m field margin & avoid saplings in front of Bluebell Wood. The grass was cut no lower than 150mm using the tractor and frail attachment and bailed. All works were carried out at the end of September at the same time as the other meadow areas were cut. All the cut materials were removed off-site and transported to the zoo’s Woodside Farm.

Due to the nature of the site and the presence of the GCN breeding pond, CCNW avoided cutting on the margins of the old pond in the centre and the large new northern pond. Effectively, all margins were avoided. 

Designated Area B

CCNW carried out grass cutting on approximately 0.47ha. Due to the nature of the site, CCNW avoided the pond margin area and steep-sided slope. Some of the sections of the field were wet, so the team worked around what was practical given the site conditions. All the cut materials were removed off-site and transported to the zoo’s Woodside Farm.

Chester Zoo Nature Reserve Habitat Management

CCNW carried out grass cutting on approximately 2.7ha. Due to the nature of the site, CCNW were instructed to leave designated mound areas un-cut within the Meadow area.

CCNW used a flail deck as close to the bottom of the mounds as possible to push back nettles and willowherb starting to encroach on the meadow. The Mounds within the site had a hedgerow plant on them, which were avoided from being cut. The mounds would be cut using a brush cutter, cutting or strimming 50% of the vegetation on the mounds. The cut materials would then be collected and placed on the top of the log piles. The remainder of all cut grass bails were taken to the Zoo’s Woodside farm.