Planting and turfing at Leeds Lifting Tower

Part of the ongoing works at Wellington Place in Leeds city centre, the Grade II-listed railway wagon hoist tower has been restored and converted into museum and exhibition space. The surrounding landscape has enjoyed its own lift, with new planted beds full of shrubs, grasses, herbaceous perennials and bulbs to provide all year round colour, foliage and interest.

“These works will ensure that the lifting tower remains at the heart of the development. We’re especially excited to take this onto the next level and use the space to benefit the local community as well as those across the city and wider region.”

Head of Development at MEPC, Paul Pevia

The Landscape and Planting Plan

Completed in April 2024 by J Paxman Landscapes from a design by Planit landscape architects and urban designers, the soft landscaping involved the filling and levelling with BS3882 topsoil and compacting for turf and planting before:

• preparing planting beds with mushroom compost and fertiliser;
• rotivating turf areas to a fine tilth;
• planting of 1 metre high beech instant hedge along the periphery;
• planting of 2-5 litre herbaceous perennials, shrubs and grasses for colour and structure;
• planting of nearly 1,000 bulbs including tulips, summer hyacinths and some beautiful Rainbow Butterflies daffodils with unique split coronas resembling butterflies;
• bark and mulching; and
• turfing and seeding

Ongoing Grounds Maintenance

Now complete, J Paxman Landscapes will be returning to carry out the landscape’s first 12 months maintenance plan, ensuring that the finished landscape continues to grow and thrive so that it may be enhance the public open space for the local community to enjoy.

Residential landscaping at Skelton Gate

Native Tree Planting, Hedging and Seeding at Skelton Gate

The 27-acre first phase of new homes at Skelton Gate sits at the top of the 170-acre former colliery site just off the M1 at Junction 45 in Leeds Aire Valley.

Working with PWP Design, Evans Property Group and architects KPP, J Paxman Landscapes have been on site as part of this first phase to work on the soft landscaping plan.

Ground preparation and Phase 1 planting

To date, the landscape team have completed new fencing, gate installation, new seating, signage and the erection of a new water buoy. Pockets of native trees have been planted, with a woodland area created and hydroseeding across the site, woodland planting, and hydroseeding.

The ground was levelled and trees removed prior to replanting. The existing hedgerow has been extended with additional plants and the banks of Colton Beck itself will be enhanced with margin planting as the landscape continues to take shape.

A Somerset soft landscaping project from J Paxman Landscapes

Retaining the existing ornamental planting, J Paxman Landscapes have been down in Somerset to complete the peripheral landscaping around the new Costa Coffee at Morrisons in Yeovil.

After topsoil deliveries were complete, the Soft Landscaping team set to work on the planting plan, designed by BCA Design, with 3 litre ground cover staple shrubs selected for their resilience and deterrent to pedestrian damage including:

• Chaenomeles x superba ‘Jet Trail’
• Escallonia ‘Red Dream’
• Hebe ‘Midsummer Beauty’
• Hypericum x moserianum
• Lonicera nitida ‘Maygreen’
• Potentilla dahumica ‘Abbotswood
• Rosa ‘Kent

The extra heavy standard trees also planted in tree pits around the site were supplied as rootballed Prunus avium ‘Plena’ and stand between 4.5 and 6.5 metre in height.

Supporting the Huddersfield community rugby team shirt sponsor

Continuing a long-standing commitment to supporting local community projects and teams, this year, J Paxman Landscapes will be one of the main sponsors of Moldgreen ARLC. The Huddersfield-based amateur rugby league club are looking to replicate recent successes at Newsome Panthers (previously sponsored by JPL).

The Open Age amateur rugby league team, joining Yorkshire Men’s Rugby League Division 2, has been recently reformed after it was disbanded in 2018.

As kit sponsors, the J Paxman Landscapes logo will be displayed on team shirts and we will be following the team’s progress with interest throughout the season.