Mayoral Approval For Brightlingsea’s Ventrac Package

Mayoral Approval For Brightlingsea’s Ventrac Package

Brightlingsea Council’s Mayor, Cllr Jane Chapman, was present at the official handover of a Ventrac all-terrain compact tractor and selection of attachments at the north Essex coastal town recently. Delivered by local dealer, Upson Mowers, the equipment will be used for mowing the town’s recreation fields, maintaining local cycle paths and keeping the beach promenade free of sand and other debris.

The ever-versatile compact tractor was specified with a MU rotary mowing deck, a Power Brush and a V-blade, to provide specific solutions for some unique challenges faced by the seaside town’s council.

Grounds Assistant Ed Thorn getting to grips with the Ventrac

Cllr. Graham Steady, Portfolio holder for the town’s Western Promenade said,

“We had two demonstrations and on both occasions the council leaders were very impressed, especially with the machine’s versatility. We made a financial commitment to acquire the Ventrac and view it as major step forward in the maintenance of all council-maintained areas. We would like to thank our local dealer, Upsons and Price Turfcare, the UK distributor, for the professional manner in which they conducted the negotiations and demonstration process; they have been superb.”

“We haven’t just purchased a mower; we’ve effectively bought three different machines. During higher- than-average tides, the promenade around the children’s paddling pool can become covered with sand and shingle making it impossible for pushchairs and accessibility buggies to negotiate this area. The V-blade and Power Brush worked exceptionally well during the initial demonstration, clearing the pathway in minutes and it was a very simple decision to include it in the specification.”

Brightlingsea’s Grounds Manager, Terry Hamilton, added,

“We’ve certainly purchased a very versatile piece of kit. We’re replacing an aging triple reel mower with this Ventrac and the MU deck, which provides the same level of finish, so we’re not sacrificing quality or overall presentation. We have two recreation grounds to maintain, one of which is on clay and just above the water table, so can be very wet at certain times of the year. The Ventrac, in its eight-wheel configuration, has an exceptionally low ground pressure of just 6 psi, enabling us to mow, whatever the conditions.”

“We have a single road leading into the town including Church Hill, a steep climb with an acute bend at the top. Essex County Council have built a cycle path alongside the road to mitigate the danger to cyclists. However, it has not been regularly maintained, causing the cyclists to use the road and resulting in frustration for other road users. We have now taken responsibility for this and the Power Broom will be used to keep it debris-free and usable at all times. Another use for the Power Broom is as a scarifier; by setting the brush to a position that’s just tickling the sward, it’s possible to remove thatch build-up.”

“As part of the handover process, Upson Mowers arranged for Tom Stidder of TCS Turfcare Equipment to provide installation and familiarisation training on the day and it was superb. Tom is a turf equipment specialist with a mechanical engineering background and obviously knows the Ventrac machine, inside out. He spent over four hours with us, looking at every aspect of the machine and ensuring that we were completely comfortable with the operation of all the attachments.”

Installation training withTom Stidder (far right)

“Brightlingsea is renowned for its fishing, sailing and seaside leisure activities and attracts thousands of visitors during the summer months,” said the Mayor, Cllr. Jane Chapman. “We are proud that our green spaces, especially along the seafront and the approaches to the town, are maintained to high standards and are attractive to our residents and visitors. We could have purchased just a replacement mower, but with this Ventrac we have a multi-tasking machine, delivering best value to the town.”