Success for CRL in ALCI 2019 Awards

Clive Richardson Limited enjoyed a hugely successful afternoon at the recent Association of Landscape Contractors in Ireland 2019 Awards picking up no fewer than five awards.  The 2019 ALCI Awards were presented at an awards lunch on 6th March 2020 at the Convention Centre in Dublin.

Aston Villa Football Club’s New Bodymoor Heath Training Ground Project was the big winner picking up the top prize in the Sportsground Category.  Constructed adjacent to the clubs existing training facilities, the new training ground will replace the older facilities which are being vested as part of the HS2 Rail development.  The project involved the construction of a 45,000m2 pitch platform with associated drainage, irrigation and fencing.  The platform grow-in was managed by CRL and now contains multiple pitches of varying sizes which are used by the club teams.

Within the same category, CRL’s construction of Cricket Ireland’s High Performance Centre in Dublin also received an Award of Merit.  Developed within the Sport Ireland Campus, the Cricket Ireland HPC contains a number of synthetic and natural grass wickets to various specifications as well as a natural grass fielding practice area.

The locally owned company was also successful in the Commercial Maintenance category picking up no fewer than three awards.  The daily maintenance carried out by CRL staff at the Football Association of Ireland’s National Training Facility at the Sports Ireland Campus in Dublin was announced as the winner.  This multi-pitch facility is maintained by CRL staff on behalf of the FAI and is the base for training for all of the Irish teams, as well as hosting a number of other events throughout the year.  The judges commented that the on-going maintenance continued to be of the highest standard especially in challenging weather conditions.

For the first time CRL’s work for Belfast City Council in delivering the contract for the ‘Provision of young tree maintenance and planting and minor horticultural works’ was the recipient of an Award of Merit in the Commercial Maintenance Category.  The contract covers the planting and maintenance of all young trees and the maintenance of soft landscaped areas, such as Parks open sites and car parks, in the care of Belfast City Council, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and the Department for Communities (DfC).  CRL have a dedicated team of operatives who carry out the day to day management of over 12500 street trees under this contract to a pre-planned schedule or to emergency requests from the Council.  These include repairs to ground after an event has taken place, landscaping, planting or general environmental improvement works to enhance a local community.  Projects undertaken by CRL recently under the terms of this contract include landscaping at Bloomfield Walkway; the re-turfing of City Hall lawns after the Christmas Market; the reinstatement of the Lawns at the Cenotaph after the ‘Shrouds of the Somme’ art installation, created by artist Rob Heard; and, landscaping at Orangefield Park.  CRL have worked delivering this contract since 2011.

CRL’s work at The National Football Stadium at Windsor Park was also given an Award of Merit in the Commercial Maintenance category.  CRL staff manage the stadium pitch on a daily basis for the Irish Football Association and the judges commented on the wonderful job which the staff do, particularly as they face the challenge of delivering a playing surface which has to cope with over 70 matches and events per year.

This years’ awards were judged by Royal Society for Ulster Architects President, Joan McCoy and Horticultural Consultant Reg Maxwell.

CRL would like to place on record its thanks to the many clients, sub-contractors, suppliers and consultants whom we have worked with in making these projects a reality.  Without this partner support network it would not be possible for us to deliver projects to the standards which we do.