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Scotland's Native Trees and Shrubs
Government Departments are moving towards becoming best practice clients
There is a group within the hardy nursery stock industry expressing the view that Government overseeing organisations could do more to raise the quality of plants used for roadside planting and also promote the use of native trees of British provenance. With this in mind, and the Government's commitment to move towards becoming a best practice client, the specification in relation to native trees and shrubs contained in the 'UK Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works', has been revised to require compliance with Forestry Commission advice.
A specification is not, of course, a guaranteed means to an end; especially so with trees and shrubs which are living and unique individuals, all with slightly different characteristics, making it difficult to specify them with one hundred percent accuracy. Add to this the current lack of effective quality assurance within the landscape industry relating to native stock of local provenance and the scale of the difficulties becomes apparent. It is vital therefore that a proper quality management system is put in place by the client to demonstrate that stock to be bought is of the required specification, especially in respect of provenance.
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