North Northamptonshire Council Gawthrops Woodland Community Tree Planting and Maintenance Scheme

North Northamptonshire Council (hereafter known as "the Council") are looking to carry out Preliminary Market Engagement (hereafter referred to as "Pre-Market Engagement") in relation to the capability and capacity of a potential supplier providing the services detailed below.

A Council owned former horse paddock on the outskirts of Kettering, Northamptonshire has been re-scheduled for woodland plantation.

The 2.45ha site has secured a grant from the Forestry Commission to plant a new woodland of 3134 trees. The land is situated off Deeble Road, Kettering (Grid Reference: SP 883 709). The proposed net area of woodland creation is 1.96ha with 20% proposed integral open space incorporated into the design. Trees will be planted with 2.5m spacing, totalling 1600 stems per hectare.

The new woodland has been designated a community woodland and will be planted by volunteers drawn from Kettering and the wider North Northamptonshire area. It is estimated that approximately 150 + volunteers will need to be recruited to undertake the two-year planting schedule.

The Council is seeking a delivery partner to manage the physical planting, maintenance and aftercare of the new woodland.

This will include:

(i) the recruitment and training of volunteers drawn from the local area

(ii) mapping out and planning tree planting locations, incorporating pathways as outlined in grant agreement map

(iii) planting of trees at a rate close to 2000 whips per planting season and providing all necessary tools and equipment

(iv) managing the mulching of the whips and delivering a spring/summer watering and maintenance cycle for two years.

The purpose of this Pre-Market Engagement is to understand market appetite and to engage with appropriate contractors to support the development of this project.