Shorts Group performs specialised hedge trimming for the National Grid
30 December 2008
Demonstrating its versatility and the wide range of its services, Shorts Agricultural recently completed an intense programme of trimming hedges under power cables for the National Grid. Partnering with Fountains, Shorts Agricultural provides this specialised hedge-maintenance for the South of England.
To prepare for the project, staff at Shorts Agricultural underwent a week long training and certification course, organised and overseen by the National Proficiency Test Council (NPTC) and the National Grid. The course enabled Shorts Agricultural staff to operate as a qualified and skilled operator. In plain terms, that certification means that Shorts Agricultural has the knowledge and expertise to work in and around the high-voltage power cables that criss-cross the countryside.
Managing Director of Shorts Agricultural, Gary Short, expressed his pleasure at the certification of his team:
“As a company, we pride ourselves on our ability to perform a full range of difficult and diverse tasks. With this new NPTC certification, we can provide a very specialised service, maximising our efficiency for our customers.”
Shorts Agricultural’s NPTC-qualified operator is Trevor Bailey. From August to November, Trevor trimmed hedges following a route from Ascot, through Reading, Didcot, Aylesbury, Bicester, Banbury and Milton Keynes. Trevor then put on his rock t-shirt and headed southwest towards Somerset. In Glastonbury, Trevor trimmed the hedges on the world famous music festival site, even getting a chance to meet Michael Eavis himself.
With NPTC and National Grid qualification, Shorts Agricultural trimmed hedges under the power lines across much of the south of England. The above map highlights just some of the locations that Shorts serviced for the National Grid.
From Glastonbury, Trevor worked his way to Bridgewater, then in to Devon, through Axminster, Honiton, Exeter, Barnstaple and Okehampton then back into Wiltshire, heading through Trowbridge, Devises, Melksham and Malmesbury before returning to Ascot. The third and final leg of the project saw Trevor maintaining the hedges in and around Oxford, Cirencester, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Abergavenny, Chepstow and Newport.
To learn how Shorts Group might meet your agricultural or sports turf management needs, please contact James Winfield on 01344 891 983 or via email on jamesw@shorts-group.co.uk.