Thorpe Park, based in Chertsey, Surrey is an entertainment park claiming the ‘Biggest, Fastest, Tallest’ and, no doubt, scariest rides.
Health and Safety is naturally paramount. This doesn’t just apply to the rides, but also the trees.
Paul Roberts, Arboricultural Consultant at Connick Tree Care, undertakes an annual health and safety tree survey to trees within the public areas. Following this inspection our aborists carry out any recommended works to those trees.
Dan Pennington, Senior Manager at Connick Tree Care, says, “As you might imagine undertaking works on a site such as Thorpe Park is extremely challenging as we are working in close proximity to the ride structures and public access areas”.
The arborists that carried out the work following the inspection are quite used to dealing with the not so ordinary and Ian Stanbridge, Landscape Manager, at Thorpe Park had this to say:
“Dan, please pass on my thanks to the team for their excellent work that they did for us last week. In particular Stuart Wells with whom I met with each day to discuss the work. He was always friendly, professional and accommodating to the odd curve ball such as cranes in the way and filming on park.
And for the team who cut the large leaning willow at the back of Logger’s Leap. It was always going to be a tricky one given the size and the fact that it was hanging over quite a delicate ride trough.
The guys left the site in a tidy condition, carefully placing the cut wood so that it looks appropriate to the theme of Logger’s Leap.
Excellent work, thanks Dan and to all the crews who attended.”
By the very nature of maintaining trees the annual maintenance is not Connick Tree Care’s only visit to Thorpe Park. In addition trees have to be periodically pruned to ensure they are not interfering with the clear passage of the rides and also to keep them looking at their best in terms of shape and size.
Occasionally there will be emergency treeworks to deal with, especially when the UK is hit by bad weather.
Connick Tree Care has been working with Thorpe Park (part of the Merlin Group, which includes Chessington World of Adventures and Lego Land) since 2011.