In the wintertime, risks increase, and footfall accessing your property and main roads can experience some form of disruption. Poor weather has caused many businesses to close when they’re underprepared for snow or ice. What’s more challenging is how unpredictably the weather can act in the winter, making preparation so critical if you want to keep your business in continuous operation.

For commercial sites, weather predictions help facilities and premises managers to make better decisions and be prepared. But how are these predictions made?

To understand how experts forecast long range weather predictions for the UK, means to first understand the broader global climate. t There are many different elements influencing the temperature, including sunlight and the ocean’s currents.

In this blog post we break down the latest winter predictions and what is expected to control winter weather forecast predictions for 2021-2022.

You can also learn why the UK Gritting weather forecasting system is industry leading and second to none.

Winter Weather Predictions 2021-2022

With many historical trends set to continue, climate change has made it difficult at times to identify what the future holds. Despite this, long-term forecasting can still predict what might happen in 2021 – 2022 in different regions of the UK.

Here’s what’s likely to happen.

Predictions

The key question here is – is it going to snow at the end of 2021 or at the start of 2022?

Last winter was characterised by heavy and frequent rainfall, causing flooding in certain territories. According to the Met Office, 2020 was a “year of extremes”, including record-setting rainfall throughout the winter. The occasional cold interlude caused disruptions in what has been a largely mild winter in 2020/21.

It seems unlikely that the UK will return to a severely cold winter, where the 2009/10 winter was one of the coldest recorded winters in the past 30 years. Climate projections can be a little troubled by the broader context of global warming, but the likelihood is that the UK will continue to experience mild winters.

Whilst far up north in the Scottish Highlands, residents might have noticed snow-capped mountains, the likelihood of snow across the UK is slim. Yet, the UK has been known to be unpredictable and uncertain, with snowfall often predicted only a few days before it happens, such as when the Met Office forecasted a cold snap in March 2021.

Did you know?

According to the Met Office, 2020-2021 was amongst the wettest winters on record, where February was the wettest it has ever been. This is likely to be part of a wider trend, with increasing rainfall expected to remain consistent throughout the winter months.

How is the Weather Predicted?

Seasonal models are public data that include meteorological information which are regarded as the most accurate weather predictions. The UK Met Office is one of the most highly respected, along with the European ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast), which has a great reputation for long term forecasting.

Data is only demonstrative of how weather patterns might look between 40-60% of the time and so are not absolutes.

The ENSO is still in i’s La Nina (the cold phase), albeit weaker than its peak, and that will influence global weather through the strong, high-pressure system over the North Pacific ocean.

The Past Decade of Average UK Temperature in Winter

Throughout the end of the last century, we saw a lengthy run of much milder temperatures across the winter season, which ended in 2008. Between then and 2013 we saw much colder periods, notably December 2010 which recorded the UKs first sub-zero temperature since 1986. After a severe weather alert during an extremely cold March 2013, winter has been mainly mild.

Except for the small fly in the ointment! In February 2018, the UK was hit by the now famous ‘Beast from the East’ which cost the UK economy an estimated £1BN per day. Yellow and Amber weather warnings from the Met Office were in place over the south of the country and later including the whole of the North West too. The freezing temperatures and blizzards caused chaos to roads, rail and air for several days with central England temperatures around -5°C and 70mph bitter winds of -15°C.

So you can see, it doesn’t take many freezing winters to make a massive impact on a business, which is why Grounds Care Group recommend our winter risk assessments to be completely on the safe side.

Let’s take a brief look at average winter temperatures in the UK over the past decade:

• 2010 – 1.6°C – The coldest winter for over 30 years
• 2011 – 4.5°C – much milder at 0.8°C over average
• 2012 – 3.3°C – slightly colder than average at 0.4°C less than usual temperatures
• 2013 – 5.2°C – We begin to see temperature anomalies, with an increase of 1.5°C above average
• 2014 – 3.9°C – roughly average at just 0.2°C over
• 2015 – 5.5°C – The third warmest temperature recorded in 115 years, 1.8°C above average
• 2016 – 5.0°C – Still very mild compared to usual winter temperatures
• 2017 – 3.6°C – A drop in climate bringing the mean temperature back to average
• 2018 – 5.2°C – Another rise, making a mild winter that year
• 2019 – 5.3°C – Continuing the mild trend
• 2020 – 5.1°C – The fifth wettest winter on record with regular storms and heavy rainfall (data back to 1862)

What Affects the UK Winter?

The truth is, the weather here and across every continent and country in the world is a part of a hugely complex system, which is chaotic and unpredictable. From Russia, Canada and North America, right down to New Zealand and Australia, there are a few major players in what makes the weather.

1. ENSO

El Nino Southern Oscillation or ‘ENSO’ is a region of ocean in the tropical pacific which is divided up into regions and alternates between cold and warm phases. The cold ENSO phase is called ‘La Nina’ and the warm phase ‘El Nino’. The easterly winds (known as trade winds) travel the circumference of the earth and mix the oceans’ surface, altering currents. When ENSO changes phases and emerges up and out of the ocean, the resulting pressure patterns on the atmosphere trigger changes in the weather too. These phases are determined by changes in a specific region in the tropical pacific (usually region 3 or 4), which directly impacts the tropical weather and circulation, which goes on to affect global weather. ENSO is currently in the peak of La Nina – the cold phase until January 2021, which is thought to begin weakening in Spring 2021.

La Ninas jet stream is a powerful flow of air that travels around the entire hemisphere of earth from west to east. As it goes, it affects pressure systems, which determines surface weather. The strongest jet stream happens to extend all the way over the UK. This low pressure system that follows the La Nina jet stream in the North Atlantic has resulted in stormy but mild winter conditions both in Britain and onward to Scandinavian countries.

2. Oscillations

An oscillation is where two things move back and forth at a regular rhythm, so when talking about weather patterns, it is in regard to pressure patterns.

The North Atlantic Oscillation or ‘NAO’ refers to pressure patterns over the North Atlantic, during which block areas of high pressure, pushing colder arctic air down over the UK and some of northern Europe.
The Quasi-biennial oscillation or ‘QBO’ index are the variations of winds that blow miles above the equator in the stratosphere, laterally around the earth, changing direction every year to 14 months. When these winds blow east the phase is negative, when they blow west, it’s positive. The relationship to weather is that, when the QBO is in a negative phase, there’s a greater chance that winter will be colder.

At the moment, the QBO is blowing westward, meaning it’s positive. What’s odd is that they changed direction after just 7 months, as opposed to the usual 14. This change suggests winter will be milder.

3. Solar Activity

Solar activity and the earth’s weather is only a suggested link and as yet not proven. It is thought by some that the position of a solar cycle can increase the chance of a cold winter in Western Europe. Currently, there’s a solar minimum cycle which means improved winter forecast.

How to Safeguard Your Business from Snow this Winter

So, snow winter predictions aren’t looking likely as yet, but having a winter maintenance contract in place means to insure against extreme winter weather and make sure you have a go to if you do end up needing services like snow clearance or gritting.
Our contractors are able to carry out the following winter gritting services:

● Winter risk management
● Single Site Gritting
● Multi-Site Gritting
● Service options
● Snow clearance
● Salt supplies and grit bins
● Weather forecasting monitoring

With GCGRP you can enjoy a regular update on everything that’s happening and what’s coming. Our bespoke live reporting and scheduling system is an invaluable tool for your facilities manager or property manager, helping them stay completely in control, no matter what the weather brings. Our gritting services are nationwide, covering all over north and south England alike.

Below is a sample of the site we grit and snow clear in Greater London.

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Nationwide Gritting service UK Gritting says absolutely not! Even with warmer winters, you will still need to have a winter maintenance plan in place. The need for protection against legal claims for slips trips and falls will still be vital for any business that has premises used by customers, staff and visitors. 

 Climate Change Adaptation

In July 2019, the appearance of gritting lorries between sweltering traffic jams became a regular sight. On instruction from local council managers, the vehicles followed much the same road network routes at they would between November and March for salt spreading. Except this time they weren’t putting rock salt down, they were laying fine sand. Known as ‘dusting’, the technique is designed to ‘de-stick’ melting tarmac in 30 degree heat.  The alternative to not doing that is basically blobs of tarmac sticking to vehicle tyres, taking chunks of the road surface with it. It goes without saying, this is almost as unsafe and costly as it is to drive on as ice.  

Being able to adapt to the impacts of climate change is going to be critical for all business. So does that mean that UK Gritting is about to start ‘summer gritting’?

The short answer is no. We still anticipate plenty of need for winter gritting!

Despite road temperatures not dropping as low in the future, we still expect to regularly see temperatures drop to the freezing point of zero degrees in winter. That means freezing rain and dangerous black ice on the roads and that means hazards will still remain very real.   

Regardless of warmer winters overall, short sharp cold snaps are still going to be a part of the UK weather. Ice and snow means you’ll still need to plan ahead and be ready. A professional gritting company has access to the latest weather forecasting technology and monitor the weather daily. That means you’ll always be prepared for any eventuality and your business won’t be hindered by icy conditions.

That said, we’d be foolish not to account for the increased amount of water we’ll be dealing with. 

How Does Climate Change Affect Rainfall?

According to The Climate Change Committee, our weather systems are set to fundamentally change. 

This is largely thanks to the rising sea levels as a result of global warming. Increased temperatures caused by excess CO2 in the atmosphere, have meant that polar glaciers have begun to melt at an alarming rate. A process known as ‘the big thaw’.  

The once frozen ice, pours fresh water continually into the oceans causing sea levels to increase. To add to the mix, the temperature within the oceans has also risen, causing the water to expand. 

These warming oceans evaporate into the atmosphere, which alters the amount of water and energy in the air. It’s thought that the rise in temperature of the Atlantic Ocean is solely responsible for half of the wet season changes in the Amazon rainforest.   

But back to the UK. This wetter weather will almost certainly mean weather stations flagging more flooding in the UK during winter season. But what does it mean for our private and public roads and what does all this rain mean for gritting? 

The truth is, weather conditions in the UK will always be volatile. Businesses will still need winter maintenance contracts to ensure their business grounds are kept safe. The fact that it will still get cold enough for ice to form, means continued litigation and claims for slips trips and falls at work. 

As a business owner and facilities manager, it’s your responsibility to make sure your road surfaces, pavements and general site is as safe as reasonably possible. 

Find out more about how slips trips and falls can affect your workplace in our blog ‘Slips Trips and falls on your site – Risk assessment action for your business’.

Of course, climate change problems are set to challenge more than just gritting.

Anyone that has control over any green space is now encouraged to step up and maximise green infrastructure at every opportunity. That includes grounds maintenance companies like Grounds Care Group.

How Will Climate Change Affect Grounds Maintenance?

Water will be a big buzz word and not just because of floods. Along with the proliferate rainfall, we’ll suffer summer droughts too, which means water preservation will be paramount. Any company dealing with water should look for methods to reduce, reuse and recycle it wherever possible. 

As water becomes more of a precious commodity, we are likely to see environmental policies introduced. All companies are expected to take heed of the upcoming problems of water shortages.

The Royal Horticultural society report in 2017 ‘Gardening in a Changing Climate’ details how average UK temperature will continue to rise by as much as 2 degrees in the next century. In the south, weather is generally expected to get drier and hotter, whilst in the north it will become wetter.  

That means that anyone that owns or manages outdoor green space should already be taking steps to mitigate changes made by global warming.  

A perspicacious Grounds maintenance business will invariably be ready and prepared to adapt to these new regular conditions too. 

Part of those adaptations will be 

• A need for more weeding, mowing and pruning thanks to extended growing periods. 
• There will need to be more strategy about which plants to bed – those able to withstand extreme weather events will be preferred, along with those that can retain water. Likewise, the application of fertilisers will need to be timed exactly so as not to wash away in extra rainfall. 
• Water capture and storage will be paramount for times in the summer when there is expected to be more frequent hosepipe bans. Irrigation systems might become more of a regularity, bearing in mind costs of maintaining plants will be lower than frequent replanting. Contingency plans to bring water on site will need to be thought out and prepared. 
• Pest control is likely to be of higher priority. Warmer weather generally means a rise in the number of diseases and nuisance pests. 
• Soil health is critical for the future health of plants, crops and our planet. Biodiversity in the soil should be catered for by planting and leaving established plants well alone, rewilding where possible and reducing the use of pesticides and fertilisers overall. 

Read more about why soil health is so important in our blog ‘Why Healthy Soil is important for the landscape and the environment.

What’s Best Practice for Gritting Companies to be more Eco?

In terms of winter gritting, we may well get more used to the sight of a gritting lorry spreading sand for melting roads. But they won’t be able to stop salting, gritting and snow clearance. 

Like grounds management, we anticipate a more intensive approach to the environmental impact. From an environmentally friendly perspective, grit laying companies could be much more precise about salt quantities. We know that excess salt kills surrounding plant life. We also know that gritting salt can end up washing into waterways and affecting rivers, lakes and ponds, so it’s vital that it is carefully measured and not over used. 

UK Gritting is passionate about sustainability, just like our parent company Grounds Care Group. We already have a number of modern technologies in place that prevent wasting salt and unnecessary gritting. 

• Our cutting edge weather forecast technology helps us know exactly best times to begin the salt spread
• Our route planning strategy ensures we use as little fuel as possible
• We also only use marine salt, which is the most sustainable option 
• We’re investigating using beetroot as an eco-friendly alternative to brine.  

To learn more about how gritting can be more environmentally friendly, why not check out our blog ‘How Road Grit and Gritting can be Eco Too’.

Ultimately, we know that every one of us needs to tighten our belts and focus on waste reduction in every sense. 

Grounds Care Group and UK Gritting take the climate crisis seriously. From better water management, to planting wildflower meadows that help bee populations… From using less salt in our gritting techniques to advising customers on native more carbon capturing trees, we’re firmly focused on improving our green credentials at every opportunity. 

Green spaces are an investment, not just in your business premises looking pretty, but as an asset that contributes to a better, healthier planet. By changing the way we manage grounds maintenance (in whichever area), we have an opportunity to reduce any negative environmental impact. 

We highly recommend that, as grounds maintenance contractors, you allow us to help you audit your site to see where it might be possible to maximise green infrastructure. Any changes can be incorporated into your regular maintenance so that costs are kept down as green space help to contribute to your business eco conduct.

For a no obligation green survey or winter maintenance contract, why not pop us an email or call us. Our extensive offerings cover every aspect of grounds maintenance and we take great pride in developing exceptional and long-lasting business relationships with our customers! 

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In this blog, Grounds Care Group focus on what can happen if you don’t take proper care to safeguard the outside areas of your site. We include a guide on what to look out for when doing your onsite risk assessment and detail our own comprehensive winter maintenance contract. We want you to feel complete confidence that you’ll avoid accidents, as well as expensive claims this cold season. 

Slips, Trips and Falls Statistics

People hurting themselves through avoidable accidents at work pose real risks to business. In fact, in 2018, 27.3 million work days were lost due to work place injury and work related illness. The costs to Britain for workplace self-reported injuries and ill health exceeded £16 billion in 2018-19.

In particular, thousands of people are sent to hospital thanks to injury from falling during winter. In fact, in the winter of 2014-2015, there were 2,919 admissions directly as a result of people slipping over in icy conditions. In one instance in October 2015, a prison guard was awarded half a million pounds in compensation, after slipping on ice during patrol duty.

Listed as the most cause of common injury in the workplace, slips, trips and falls are responsible for over 40% of non-fatal accidents at work. Of course, a bruised shin or twisted ankle isn’t such a big deal, but what about a permanent disability or even death? Falling from height makes up to 25% of fatal accidents in the working environment in the UK. The UK government have long been aware of the economic and personal costs of slips, trips and falls and offer guidance on the correct procedures. 

If a proper winter maintenance service isn’t in place and employees or visitors slip over on ice on your premises you are liable. Organisations can experience real disruption in productivity with losses, legal claims, absentee employees and upset staff. Whether you’re in industrial business, office based, social housing or retail, you have an economic, moral and legal responsibility to make your premises are as safe as possible. 

What’s the Difference Between Slips, Trips and Falls?

By definition a slip is to do with a lack of friction between the footwear and the surface a person walks on. During winter, ice is a major culprit for slipping over. Applying grit to affected areas is an easy way of preventing slips.

A trip, on the other hand, is when a persons’ foot makes contact with an object on the ground or floor or a step, which knocks them off balance. Trips can be minimised by ensuring even surfaces throughout the working environment.

Despite what you might think, a fall isn’t just from a great height. It also includes falling from the same height as the ground. It generally involves a person losing their centre of balance.

What Are the Legal Requirements to Prevent Slips, Trips and Falls at Work?

Any HR or safety executive worth their salt, knows there are many specific legal requirements about health and safety at work. These rules aren’t just for employees, but for any external people who work on the premises, as well as visitors to the site.

Thanks to these stringent legislations, the UK has some of the lowest fatalities at work rate in Europe. According to the Health and Safety Executive Key Statistics and Figures, some 90% of UK companies regularly conduct risk assessments. 

As an expert grounds care maintenance company, Grounds Care Group make sure the exterior areas of your company adhere to all relevant safety laws, as below.  

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSW Act), states that sufficient and suitable control measures must be in place, to reduce the risk slips, trips and falls to the lowest rate possible. 

Under the HSW Act 1974, employees must never be required to endanger themselves or others, should cooperate with their employers, and should use safety equipment provided by their employer. 

Manufacturers and suppliers have a duty to ensure their products are safe, with a supply of adequate information of how to use the products. To learn more about the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 click here.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, details the need for employers to assess risks (including slips, trips and falls) and communicate those risks. Employers also have an obligation to investigate any incident that occurs. Employees have a duty to report potential danger or shortcomings they find in the organisation of health and safety. Further information on the Management of Health and Safety and Work Regulations 1999 can be found here.

The Workplace Health Safety and Welfare Regulations 1992, also contain further information about flooring and traffic flow and how they should be kept even, clean and clear at all times. The code of practice for The Workplace Regulations can be found here.

The Workplace Health Safety and Welfare Regulations 1992, also contain further information about flooring and traffic flow and how they should be kept even, clean and clear at all times. The code of practice for The Workplace Regulations can be found here.

The ‘Working at Height Regulations 2005’ stipulates that anyone working from height (such as a ladder or stepladder) must properly plan to do so. That includes ensuring the surfaces that you work on are even and stable. We can all imagine what would happen if you tried to place a ladder on uneven ground. As there is plenty of work that goes on outside of a building at height, it’s also important to be aware of the guidelines in place. Find the brief overview of working with heights.

How Grounds Care Group Can Help Your Business this Winter with External Risk Assessment

Grounds Care Group have a fully comprehensive winter risk management with full liability protection and comprehensive insurance. Our professional gritting service minimises all the associated risks of winter time, such as snow clearance, ice management and gritting, which improves the safety of your business, whilst mitigating claims should they arise.   

Our live reporting and scheduling system offers complete efficiency and ease for our customers. With minute to minute reporting on our services, you get a risk assessment tool at your fingertips, because we include inspection reports without you even asking. 

With our grounds maintenance service, we investigate the entire outside area of your property, thoroughly. From waste clearance and litter picking to leaf removal, from pot hole fixing to uneven surfaces, we aim to keep your site clear and risk free.  We cover a number of different sectors and can provide case studies for many happy customers. 

Grounds Care Group spend considerable time applying thorough control measures to places of work. That includes a slip assessment tool and falls risk assessment, with careful monitoring of weather conditions. Simple attention to detail, from securing trailing cables or removing spills, all help to minimise slip potential. 

Grounds Care Group work together with you for all your external grounds risk assessment needs.

That might include things like:   

Identification of Hazards

• Checking previous accident records
• Establishing which groups of people could potentially come to harm
• Establishing how might those people come to harm
• Get feedback from employees
• Consider visitors to your workplace, where will they be and what will they be doing

Evaluate Risks and Take Precautions

• Decide what to do about the hazards you have identified
• Look at what risk management you already have in place and assess if you can improve on that
• Develop a strategy to work around risks e.g. cleaners come out of hours, gritting staircases
• Adhering to health and safety risk assessments with every change of design to the workplace
• Ensuring areas are well
• Using signage for potential danger e.g. wet floor
• Remove waste regularly to ensure there is no health and safety or trip hazard
• Making sure Fire exits are completely clear at all times
• Dealing with ice and snow as well as slippery leaves during autumn and winter

Record All Findings in a Risk Register

• The law requires you to demonstrate how you have identified and implemented your risk assessments. Recording this in a legible way, means you’re covered if someone should still have a slip, trip or fall at work. If you can show that you have done everything within reason to prevent slips from happening, you are doing your job correctly and are mitigating any insurance claims 

The good news is, risk management is usually fairly straightforward

By implementing ‘reasonably practicable measures’ as above, you’re already half way to ensuring accidents happen less, or not at all. 

Once risk management is in place, regular maintenance is all that’s needed to upkeep the necessary standard. We recommend educating staff on what’s been put in place, to help achieve the goal of all workers going about their day safely.   

Grounds Care Group is the choice for any business of association that wishes to make absolutely sure they are covered for all potential slips, trips and falls. If you’d like a no obligation chat about the various grounds maintenance services we offer, whatever the weather, why not give our friendly customer services team a call? We’re on hand to give sound advice and competitive quotes.

The post Slips Trips and Falls on your Site – Risk Assessment & Action for Your Business appeared first on Grounds Care Group.

Planting native trees is one of the most effective ways to support biodiversity, combat climate change and protect the UK’s natural heritage. Native trees are uniquely adapted to local conditions, require less maintenance and support more wildlife than non-native species.

In this guide, we explore the benefits of native trees, the environmental role they play and why planting them is more urgent than ever.

What Are Native Trees?

Native trees are species that have evolved naturally in a region over thousands of years. In the UK, this means trees that have been growing here since the last Ice Age, without human introduction.

Examples include oak, silver birch, rowan, hawthorn and Scots pine. These species form the backbone of Britain’s woodland ecosystems, supporting everything from insects and birds to fungi and mammals.

Why Are Native Trees Important?

1. They support wildlife

Native trees provide food, shelter and breeding habitats for hundreds of species. From nesting birds to pollinators like bees and butterflies, native woodland creates a complete ecological network.

2. They improve air quality

Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis. This helps reduce air pollution and slow the effects of climate change.

3. They prevent flooding and erosion

Tree roots help anchor soil and absorb rainwater, reducing surface runoff. This is vital for flood-prone areas and protecting waterways.

4. They require less maintenance

Because they are suited to local soil, climate and pests, native trees need fewer pesticides, less watering and less intervention overall.

How Trees Help Fight Climate Change

Trees act as carbon sinks, absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere and locking it into their roots, trunks and leaves. A single mature tree can absorb up to 22kg of CO2 per year.

Globally, scientists have identified 1.7 billion hectares of land suitable for reforestation. This space could support up to 1.2 trillion new native trees, with the potential to remove over 200 billion tonnes of carbon.

Planting trees isn’t just symbolic: it’s a practical, scalable solution to climate breakdown. But only if we plant the right species in the right places.

The Risks of Non-Native Species

Non-native or exotic trees may look appealing, but they can disrupt local ecosystems. These trees:

• May not support local insects, birds or fungi
• Can outcompete native species for light, space or nutrient
• May introduce pests or diseases from abroad

Planting non-native trees can unintentionally harm biodiversity. That’s why choosing native species is essential for long-term environmental resilience.

Benefits of Choosing Native Trees and Plants

Common UK Native Trees

There are native tree species for every soil type and setting, from woodlands and wetlands to parks and gardens. Some of the most common include:

• Oak – A keystone species that supports over 2,000 organisms
• Rowan – Popular in urban planting for its colour and berries
• Silver birch – Fast-growing and loved by insects
• Hazel – Produces nuts and is ideal for coppicing
• Hawthorn – Great for hedgerows and nesting birds
• Scots pine – The UK’s only native conifer
• Crab apple – Supports pollinators and birds
• Elder – Fast-growing and perfect for small gardens

These trees form the foundation of woodland ecosystems and are key to nature recovery across the UK.

Why Tree Planting Must Be Local and Monitored

Tree planting needs to be done with care. Recent years have seen a rise in pests and diseases entering the UK through imported saplings and untreated timber. These threats include:

• Ash dieback
• Oak processionary moth
• Sudden oak death
• Elm disease

To protect UK tree populations, always source trees grown and certified in the UK. Work with professional landscapers or tree specialists who understand planting conditions, local ecology and tree health.

When Is the Best Time to Plant Trees?

The best time to plant trees in the UK is between November and March, when trees are dormant. This allows roots to settle before the growing season starts in spring.

Bare root and root-ball trees are also cheaper during this period, making it ideal for large-scale planting projects.

How to Choose and Plant Trees

Consider:

• Soil type (clay, loam, sandy, acidic or alkaline)
• Available space (small garden, field margin, public green space)
• Local wildlife
• Visual impact throughout the year

Tips:

• Don’t plant too deep – tree roots need access to air and moisture
• Water newly planted trees for the first two summers
• Mulch around the base to suppress weeds and retain moisture
• Use tree guards if needed to protect from deer or rabbits

Grounds Care Group can assess your site and recommend the best tree mix for long-term success.

Threats to Native Trees in the UK

The UK has lost over 90% of its wildflower meadows and ancient woodlands in the past century. Native trees now face multiple pressures:

• Deforestation for agriculture and development
• Climate change and extreme weather
• Invasive species and imported diseases
• Habitat fragmentation

Estimates suggest that over the next 10 years, the UK could lose 150 million mature trees and 2 billion saplings to disease alone.

Planting and protecting native trees has never been more urgent.

Government and Charity Tree Planting Schemes

Several national projects are helping to increase tree cover in the UK:

• The England Tree Strategy – targets 11 million new trees
• Plant Britain (BBC Countryfile) – encouraging community planting
• Woodland Trust – offers free trees for schools and communities
• The Tree Council – funds tree planting and care initiatives
• Trees for Cities – focuses on urban tree planting projects

Grounds Care Group supports these initiatives and works with clients to turn outdoor space into climate-positive, wildlife-friendly landscapes.

How Grounds Care Group Supports Tree Planting

We help businesses, schools, local authorities and property managers to:

• Choose native trees that suit their space and soil
• Plant trees safely and professionally
• Maintain healthy trees through pruning, protection and monitoring
• Improve biodiversity on site
• Meet sustainability goals and support the environment

From soft landscaping to full-scale rewilding, our team is ready to make your grounds greener and more resilient.

Ready to Plant?

Native trees offer one of the simplest, most effective ways to fight climate change and support local wildlife. Whether you’re working on a large project or just want to add shade to a small space, we can help.

Contact us today to discuss your planting plans and bring more native trees into your landscape.

The post The Importance of Planting Native Trees in the UK appeared first on Grounds Care Group.

Gritting is essential for keeping roads, pavements and car parks safe in winter. But can it be done in an environmentally friendly way?

Yes. With the right materials, methods and timing, winter gritting can reduce risk without harming the planet. This guide explains how eco gritting works, what makes salt sustainable and how Grounds Care Group helps clients stay safe and environmentally responsible.

What Is Gritting?

Gritting is the process of applying salt or a salt-based solution to surfaces to stop ice forming. It lowers the freezing point of water so snow and frost melt quickly or don’t stick at all.

Most winter gritting uses rock salt. Brine, a salt and water mix, is also used to prevent ice from forming on high-risk surfaces.

Can Road Grit Be Eco-Friendly?

Yes. Gritting becomes eco-friendly when:

• The right material is used (e.g. white marine salt or brine)
• Salt is applied at the right time based on road surface temperature
• Spreaders are calibrated to avoid waste
• Routes are planned to minimise travel and reduce emissions

By combining accurate forecasting with smart application, gritting can protect people and reduce environmental impact.

What Is the Problem With Road Salt?

Rock salt is effective but can cause environmental harm when overused:

• Soil damage: Excess salt harms roots and reduces plant growth
• Water pollution: Salt runoff enters drains and waterways, affecting wildlife
• Surface wear: Too much salt erodes concrete, tarmac and paving
• Wildlife risk: Salt is toxic if ingested and can burn animals’ paws or fur

The goal is to apply the least amount of salt needed to stay safe.

Is Brine Better Than Rock Salt?

Brine is a pre-wet solution of salt and water. It’s sprayed before frost arrives and works by stopping ice from bonding to the surface.

Brine is:

• More targeted than dry grit
• Less wasteful as it sticks to surfaces
• Better for the environment due to lower salt use

It’s often the first choice for preventing ice on footpaths, loading bays and frequently used car parks.

How Grounds Care Group Reduces Environmental Impact

We take a proactive approach to eco-friendly gritting. Our services include:

Marine-Sourced White Salt

We use pure white salt evaporated from seawater. It contains fewer impurities, spreads more evenly and dissolves faster. Less material is needed to get the same result.

Brine Application

Brine helps reduce total salt use by stopping ice before it forms. It’s ideal for businesses focused on sustainability or sites where overspreading must be avoided.

Accurate Forecasting

We monitor road surface temperatures, not just the air. This helps us grit only when needed, saving salt and avoiding unnecessary applications.

Tailored Site Plans

Every site is assessed before winter. We build a plan around usage, exposure and surface type, choosing the right balance of grit and brine.

Efficient Routing

Our vehicles are GPS-tracked and route-planned in advance. This cuts emissions, reduces fuel use and speeds up service during weather events.

Does Road Salt Help Reduce Carbon Emissions?

Yes. While salt itself has some environmental risks, gritting keeps roads open and traffic moving. If icy roads slow or stop vehicles, fuel consumption and emissions go up. Well-timed gritting reduces:

• Idling in traffic queues
• Stop-start driving
• Longer journey times

That means fewer emissions from cars and delivery fleets during cold weather.

Are There Alternatives to Salt?

We’re actively exploring lower-impact materials such as beet juice extract. It:

• Works at lower temperatures than salt
• Has a sticky texture that reduces scatter
• Is less harmful to soil and animals

Beet juice is still emerging in the UK but could play a bigger role in sustainable gritting as supply grows.

Can You Grit Without Damaging Surfaces?

Yes. Damage from salt usually happens when:

• Too much salt is applied
• Spreaders are poorly calibrated
• Surfaces are already weak or cracked

Using trained staff, correct dosages and modern equipment reduces this risk. Pure white salt also causes less staining and surface residue than brown rock salt.

What Makes Gritting Sustainable?

Sustainable gritting includes:

• Using the least harmful material for the surface
• Choosing brine when conditions allow
• Planning routes to avoid fuel waste
• Avoiding overuse of salt
• Sourcing salt responsibly from marine reserves
• Reporting and reviewing usage after each job

All these steps help reduce cost, carbon impact and disruption.

Why Work With an Eco-Focused Gritting Company?

Grounds Care Group provides sustainable winter gritting that:

• Uses brine and marine salt to reduce impact
• Offers live job tracking and service logs
• Plans custom routes and avoids overspreading
• Helps clients meet sustainability targets

From supermarkets and hospitals to schools and office parks, we support clients who care about people and the planet.

Book Environmentally Friendly Gritting Services

Winter safety doesn’t have to come at the environment’s expense. Our team can assess your site and build a tailored gritting plan that protects your staff, customers and surfaces, while reducing your carbon footprint.

Contact us today to book a winter survey or request a quote.

The post How Road Grit and Gritting Can Be Eco-Friendly appeared first on Grounds Care Group.

Typical examples might include:

The creation of alternative habitats away from the site;

• Boosting the appeal of retained habitat by leaving hedgerows intact or by putting up bat or bird boxes;
• Taking care to safeguard watercourses by making sure the right sediment management is installed before work begins;
• Safely removing vulnerable fauna such as great crested newts, dormice or bats from planned demolition sites and taking them to new homes – this is also known as translocation;
• Trapping badgers from ancient setts and making new homes for them. However, in the UK, this action is unusual as badger setts are usually ringfenced.

For over a decade, our experienced and professional team has been offering environmental mitigation actions to an extensive range of projects and sites. Our team is always willing to consult and work on environmental plans that will help to reduce or negate the effect that development projects have on local flora and fauna. The Grounds Care Group is hugely passionate about limiting this type of impact if at all possible. Over the last ten years, the Grounds Care Group has successfully offered ecological mitigation plans to many different sectors, such as railways, local authorities, schools, hospitals and retail. The wealth of experience we have developed in the field of environmental mitigation helps us to limit the time and expense of managing existing wildlife in the area.

Our specialist ecological team has a range of practical strategies to enact. They will inspect your site and use their expertise to thoroughly assess which approach is required to reduce the impact of the works. Our techniques reflect the government guidelines and involve mitigation, avoidance and enhancement measures that.

Avoidance

Avoidance is perhaps the most economically viable option for limiting harm to vulnerable environmental habitats. Simple steps such as altering the timings of work so as not to coincide with the breeding season is an example of a low-cost avoidance strategy.

Mitigation

Our range of tried and tested mitigation methods are proved to lessen the potentially devastating effects of development. One example might be to install hedgehog boxes after construction or to plant native trees and hedgerows in designated areas to encourage existing wildlife to remain. Badger tunnels under busy roads is another example of a mitigation strategy. Translocation is another option when these strategies are insufficient and buys time to either redevelop existing habitats or create new ones. You can be sure that all our processes will comply with planning criteria in addition to being for the good of the project and the wider community.

Enhancements

Our range of enhancement strategies operate by bringing our mitigation, avoidance, and compensation methods together to successfully negate the loss of biodiversity loss or reduce the impact if at all possible. Government policies clearly state that new developments should help to restore biodiversity by providing new ecological habitats on and off-site.

Our highly skilled team will assist in the trapping and relocation of flora and fauna, where we feel it is necessary. We will use our expertise to create new habitats that mimic natural environments for a range of wildlife; especially endangered species. We offer ecological mitigation works for a range of wildlife, including:

• Amphibians
• Badgers
• Bats
• Birds
• Dormice
• Fish
• Invertebrates
• Otters
• Plants
• Reptiles
• Trees
• Water voles
• White-clawed crayfish

As ecological issues are increasingly prioritised by the public, using the services of a professional company who has years of experience in the field of ecological and environmental mitigation has never been so important.

Contact the Grounds Care Group today for more information on how the range of mitigation techniques and strategies could ensure that your development project remains on the right side of the law.

The post The importance of professional ecological mitigation appeared first on Grounds Care Group.

If you’re the facility manager or property manager of any business or borough council, you already understand why it’s so important to be prepared and ready for the winter. Grounds maintenance services need to be in order so that private commercial sites are kept safe all year round, but winter brings additional hazards.

The biggest threat to safety on private commercial sites (or any!) during winter is ice and wet. Icy, slippery surfaces can be combated with gritting. There are plenty of dangers of not gritting your site properly too. Wherever there are people on site, whether staff, clients, patients, students or in vehicles, you need to know they will be safe.

Knowing you have provided a space that has reduced the risk of accident or injury as much as possible, not only gives peace of mind and confidence for you and your colleagues but also avoids potential financial repercussions. After all, no property manager wants a liability claim on their hands or a damaged company reputation to deal with.

Grounds Maintenance Services

Year-round maintenance of your property is an ongoing requirement, and winter maintenance is no different. As soon as grass cutting season is over, autumn brings its own cautions with messy, wet and slippery leaves everywhere. Although it’s really important to have your grounds looking professional, the health and safety element is a legal obligation. You might already have a small on-site team in place, but winter is particularly stressful if the weather throws a curveball. Full annual grounds control helps you stay on top of the sometimes overwhelming number of services in grounds maintenance.

‘A good maintenance contractor will be able to provide you with a year-round cyclic strategy that will ensure your site is prepared for all seasons. Specifically trained staff will have access to a wide range of specialised equipment, designed to cope with grounds maintenance needs every month, and especially in winter when things can get riskier.

Services you should expect your grounds maintenance winter contract to include are:

– Winter risk management

– Weather forecasting and monitoring

– 24 hour reaction times

– Salt supplies and grit bins

– Single or multi-site gritting options

– Snow clearance

How Does Salt Actually Work in Winter Gritting?

Salt has a unique ability to reduce the danger of ice because it’s able to dissolve the very top layer. Once this slippery surface layer of liquid water disintegrates, the salt merges down into the next layer and continues like that until the ice has turned into non-slippery mush. This clever chemical reaction works for every temperature of ice right down to minus 9 degrees. Luckily, here in the UK we don’t experience such low temperatures, which means our tried and tested gritting service always works. We take the added precaution of laying salt out overnight, because salt is known to be a better preventative than cure and applying it before the ice forms, stops it freezing altogether.

UK Gritting, the sister company of Grounds Care Group will always opt for the most environmentally friendly options and in the case of gritting, we supply white salt, rather than brown. We find white salt is not only cleaner and more efficient to apply, it is more aesthetically pleasing!

What are the Benefits of a Complete Grounds Maintenance Contract?

– Having a bespoke company tend to your land, means you completely remove the ‘to-do’ list of seasonal requirements in property management

– With a year-round contract, you’re likely to make significant savings, since regular clients receive discounts on bulk service buying

– You get the peace of mind that every day of the year is catered for

– You don’t need to invest in equipment you’re only likely to use for a small portion of the year, or find mass storage for things like gritting salt!

A nationwide company like Grounds Care Group offers a complete, wrap-around grounds service for the whole year that is designed to cater to your exact needs. You get a dedicated agent to speak with, who will deal with every query or issue you have. That saves hours in admin and research and lets you get back to tending to the more important aspects of your job.

Why Should I Choose UK Gritting from GCGRP for my Winter Site Maintenance?

Here at Grounds Care Group, we pride ourselves on delivering the optimum service every time. We have a wealth of experience in an impressive array of different industries including:

· Retail

· Utilities

· Property managers

· Leisure & Hospitality

· Office & Industrial

· Emergency Services

· Construction

· Historical Properties

· Private & Social Housing

· Public Sector Healthcare

· Facilities management

· School & Education

· Rail

Grounds Care Group services grounds of all kinds, all year round. From landscaping and environmental support to winter gritting from UK Gritting, we have you covered.

Our professional nationwide team has extensive winter maintenance training, that covers all elements of gritting and pedestrian protection. We aim to leave no stone unturned with years of experience and will nurture your landscape as if it was our own. Your grounds will not only look immaculate all year round, but will be completely safe for you, your staff and your visitors to go about your business.

Our winter service grounds contract includes daily monitoring of weather forecasts, extensive seasonal equipment and a large fleet of well-maintained grounds maintenance vehicles, such as our gritting lorries. Choosing maintenance contractors can be a headache, but we aim to take the hassle out of the whole process. Our dedicated support staff are always on hand to shed light on any queries you may have and offer practical and immediate solutions.

Contact us today by calling 0800 031 8447 or by emailing us for all your grounds care enquiries and let us offer competitive maintenance services for your local site and beyond.

The post Best 2020 Winter Grounds Maintenance Contracts for My Business appeared first on Grounds Care Group.

When is the best time to grit business grounds?

The weather in the UK is notoriously variable but ice, sleet and snow can be expected at any point from early November with on average thirty-eight days with frost at night and seven days during which it also continues to freeze during the day. You should always keep in mind that there may be frost, sleet or snow in winter. It is advisable to be prepared and book the services of a professional winter gritting contractor in plenty of time to avoid delays.

Private companies are legally obliged to ensure that the areas around their property are kept as safe and clear from snow and ice as possible. Car parks, public spaces, pavements, and entrances to buildings must be kept clear. Health and Safety regulations advise that a company should have a winter policy and gritting schedule to ensure that the necessary work is undertaken when winter weather takes hold. Any accidents that occur during icy or wet conditions on business premises caused by trips and falls on ice could leave you liable to a legal claim by the injured party. As an employer, you have a duty to protect the health and safety of employees and visitors. Employers have to do whatever is reasonably practical to achieve the safety of employees, by assessing the risks within the workplace.

Health and Safety regulations also advise that individuals or businesses should never take it upon themselves to remove snow and ice from public roads and highways. This is because of the likelihood of accidents and other issues that could arise because of the nature of the required work. The movement of snow, for example, during clearance, could lead to problems in another zone. And this could also lead to legal claims for any injuries arising as a result.

Our tip:

Before winter sets in, make sure you have a supply of road salt at home or work. You can then take immediate action in case of snow or ice. Keep your stock of road salt closed, because salt attracts moisture. There are special salt boxes for this, in which you can store road salt so you will always have dry salt when you need it.

As well as avoiding legal action, using the services of a gritting company enhances the reputation of your business. Booking a company early, and being able to stay open and accessible to customers shows that you are organised, professional and take the welfare of customers and clients seriously.

Of course, there are often mild winters in the UK, and you could indeed save some money by not taking precautions against ice and snow. However, this is a risk we would seriously advise against taking. The government have made it clear that the responsibility is on business owners to make sure their grounds are free of hazards and to take steps to reduce the risk of accidents wherever appropriate. With recent lawsuits resulting in payouts of half a million pounds, choosing to save costs by not gritting business grounds and roads on your company premises would be a foolhardy decision and one which could well prove to be a false economy.

This autumn, save yourself some worry by using the services of Grounds Care Group. Knowing that a professional company like ourselves is one hand to ensure your premises are safe, takes one less pressure away. UK Gritting will enable you to have peace of mind knowing that your staff and visitors are safe on your premises during the winter months.

Contact UK Gritting today and book your winter gritting service.

The post The dangers of not gritting your commercial premises appeared first on Grounds Care Group.

Even in the depths of autumn and winter, you still need to ensure you are on top of your grounds maintenance to ensure it stays tidy and professional all year round.

Spring tasks

Spring is perhaps the busiest season in terms of commercial grounds maintenance jobs.

Now is the time to get your premises into shape in preparation for the summer. Lawn care is particularly important; we recommend using the services of a professional for lawn edging and fertilising to ensure it looks brilliantly green all year round.

Keeping on top of pests and insects is also a critical spring task. Pressure washing driveways and paved areas will also keep the exterior of your premises looking their best.

Bedding plants can be planted in prepared beds. Manure and compost may need to be dug in to enrich the soil. Weeding needs to be done throughout spring to ensure bedding plants are kept in top condition. 

Summer Tasks

Flowers and shrubs need to be regularly watered, fertilised and deadheaded to encourage further blooms. Roses, in particular, can continue to flower well into the autumn if deadheaded regularly. Weeding is an ongoing task in the summer, as is mowing grassed areas; something which can be done quickly and easily with a professional grounds maintenance worker who will have the correct tools and machinery to get the jobs done. Hedges can be trimmed from early August, once the final nesting season has passed.

Autumn tasks

Autumn grounds maintenance often involves a considerable amount of leaf clearance, and if there are several trees on your premises, this is a task best left to professionals. At Grounds Care Group, our dedicated team is on hand to keep your commercial and corporate site looking pristine, particularly during autumn when the leaves begin to fall. 

Not only do leaves on lawns look messy and unsightly, but they can also be dangerous as wet leaves on pathways can become slippery and cause falls. We pride ourselves on sticking to our word, and what we say we will do, we will do on time. When it comes to autumn grounds maintenance, you can save yourself a great deal of time and energy and enlist the help of our commercial leaf removal services.

In late autumn, you may want to plant bulbs for the spring; again, this can be a challenging task for a business owner with large premises.

In many ways, autumn is a time for preparation for the challenging winter months. Commercial premises often have car parks and driveways that can become very slippery and hazardous for pedestrians during icy or snowy weather. Plan ahead in autumn for the winter season and find out about our gritting plans. Grounds Care Group gritting plans come with different payment options so you can choose one that best suits your requirements. When the temperature drops below a certain point in your area, our contractors are automatically deployed to grit your premises, ensuring safety for your staff and clients, and peace of mind for you.

Winter tasks

Winter is the ideal time to keep on top of pruning to ensure your trees, bushes and shrubs stay healthy and looking their best. Thinning and trimming bushes promotes a strong structure and allows new growth. Winter is also the best time to apply weedkiller to pathways and driveways and to remove patches of moss from lawns. Flower beds can be mulched to protect plants from the frost. Young trees may need to have their trunks covered if there is a cold snap. If you wish to have any overgrown areas cleared, then autumn and winter is a great time to do this as naturally the shrubbery and weeds die back, so they are a lot easier to remove during the winter months. Equally important is ensuring gritting and snow clearance is carried out during these colder months, helping to keep your site, staff and visitors safe and operational throughout the year. 

Autumn and winter is also a great time to carry out tree maintenance and surgery. Tree surgery may be required to avoid loose branches from falling in strong winds and winter storms. It can also help improve the health of the tree by removing any dead branches.

It cannot be emphasised that planning ahead is vital to keep your commercial premises looking smart and well-maintained. All of this takes time, skill and a considerable amount of physical work, which is why we recommend utilising the skills of our team here at the Grounds Care Group to handle your grounds maintenance, keeping it looking pristine and professional all year round regardless of the season.

The post The Importance Of Keeping Your Premises Looking Professional All Year Round appeared first on Grounds Care Group.

A long-established operator

When there is predicted bad weather, it is not uncommon to see a flurry of new contractors, hoping to take advantage of the increase in demand. Look for a company that is experienced and has established gritting processes to keep your business open during the worst of the winter weather. UK Gritting, for example, has been a winter gritting contractor working extensively across the UK for many years and is part of the renowned Grounds Care Group.

Choose a company with a wide range of equipment

UK Gritting has a large fleet of vehicles, including well-maintained gritters and salt spreaders, and our own specialist equipment. Offering the best of both worlds; with offices located across the UK, and strategically placed salt depots, we are a local company with a national reach. This means that when bad weather is forecasted, you can be sure that our gritting vehicles can easily reach your destination and fulfil your service contract with ease. Waiting for a less well-established company could mean waiting for days or even weeks, which could be disastrous for your business operations.

UK Gritting is a national company with a truly regional outreach. Each team manages numerous crews, and each crew can reach approximately 25 locations each day. Our extensive network of gritting operatives means that it is highly probable that we are already carrying out work in an area close to you so adding your premises to an existing route is entirely feasible, wherever you are based. It is essential to choose local gritting services for your peace of mind. UK Gritting uses the same teams during the winter season –  meaning you’ll get the same familiar faces coming to your site wherever possible. This is ideal for efficient service delivery and vital for highly secure sites. All of our gritting operators are properly checked, and safety trained and familiar with the route they will need to use to get to your business.

Mobile gritting services leading the way with technology

We’re proud to be one of the best gritting services in the country – a country which often has a reputation for being unprepared for snow and blizzards. As a company, we heavily invest in the latest weather forecasting technology to ensure a high level of customer service. 

UK Gritting has chosen to work closely with the Met Office because it provides the most precise weather forecasting service and allows us to receive all of the highly accurate and detailed weather information required for the safety of all involved. Our bespoke platform allows us to view detailed and accurate data 24/7. Our weather forecasting technology can give us detailed weather reports for the exact area of your business. When the temperature drops below a certain point, our operatives will be deployed to keep your business running by either carrying out gritting or snow removal. 

Live reporting

Our unique weather forecasting and timetabling software allows us to offer clients a smooth and fully integrated service by allowing them to access real-time data. This state-of-the-art software sets us apart from our competitors and enables us to provide our clients with the following services:

• Access bookings and client data via a convenient smartphone app. UK Gritting operatives can update work orders whilst at work.
Get detailed driving directions to prevent any delays for customers.
• Track job locations, and record arrival and departure times so you can stay fully informed about the progress of gritting operations.
• The UK Gritting team will also take signed photos of before and after images of the site so visual proof of any work carried out can be provided if necessary.

The British weather is known for its unpredictability, but UK Gritting can help your business and premises stay ahead of the game by being fully prepared. For peace of mind during the next cold snap, contact UK Gritting.

UK Gritting is part of the Grounds Care Group. 

The post Why Hire a Local Private Gritting Company? appeared first on Grounds Care Group.