A team of over 30 volunteers involved in the development of York Central donated their time last month to remove invasive species, Himalayan Balsam from Millennium Green, replacing it with wildflower seeds, to enhance the area’s natural beauty while supporting the project’s broader sustainability strategy.
The volunteering day was organised by York Central’s infrastructure contractor John Sisk & Son Ltd and saw volunteers from Homes England, property consultants Gleeds, Danny Sullivan construction recruitment and City of York Council join Ebsford Environmental Consultants and come together to clear the site.
In addition to removing invasive Himalayan Balsam plant species, Ebsford used its specialist equipment to clear away some Giant Hogweed. The team then sowed the cleared ground with a mix of wildflowers and wild grasses to support its natural regeneration.
The volunteers also tidied up the weed in the pond and topped up the water in the pond with a pump, before strimming along the boundary fence. In a further bid to improve the area for the local community, the grass and nettles around the Garnet Terrace playground were trimmed to make it nicer for local children to enjoy.
Amy Hoskin, Stakeholder and Social Value Manager at John Sisk & Son, who organised the volunteering day, said: “We were so pleased with how well the day went and are extremely grateful to every volunteer for the enormous impact we were able to make. This green space is so important to the community, so it means a lot that there was so much support to help improve this area for local residents and the Millennium Green trustees.”
Natalie Webster, Senior Project Manager at Homes England on behalf of the York Central Partnership, added: “Sustainability is at the forefront of the York Central project, so it was wonderful to see contractors and consultants joining together for such an important cause. In addition to giving us a chance to get together, we were so pleased with how much we achieved on the day to benefit the local community.”
This is the second time Ebsford Environmental Consultants have worked with the York Central Partnership and John Sisk & Son to safeguard the area’s green spaces, following an earlier intervention to remove Japanese Knotweed.
The Leeman Road Millennium Green is one of York’s largest public green spaces, situated between the River Ouse and the railway line, just west of the City Centre. Following its formation in 1998, the Leeman Road Millennium Green Trust has transformed what was an area of scrubland in York into a six-and-a-quarter acre green site, eradicating weeds, planting trees, bulbs and wild flowers and encouraging wildlife by providing special habitats and creating an important public open space for walking, recreation and community events.
Steve Maxwell – Chair of the Millennium Green Trust, said: “The open spaces around Millennium Green are so vital for the health and wellbeing of the entire local community. We are so grateful to every volunteer who gave up their time to proactively improve the area for everyone to enjoy.”
Nick Bramhall at Ebsford Environmental Ltd, said: “It was great to team up with York Central and Sisk once again. Millennium Green has some beautiful natural areas but maintaining them is an ongoing challenge. We were pleased to volunteer our expertise for such a worthwhile cause.”
For the latest information on York Central, visit www.yorkcentral.info.
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