Contractors needed for hay meadow restoration work

The North Pennines AONB Partnership is looking for contractors with experience in and enthusiasm for habitat restoration work.

The Hay Time project's mower-collector in action (c) NPAP/Rebecca Barrett

This work is part of the Partnership's Hay Time project and will involve operating specialised seed harvesting and spreading machinery between July and September and practical work to establish small-scale habitat plots.

Harvesting

Rebecca Barrett manages the Hay Time project on behalf of the North Pennines AONB Partnership and said: "The Hay Time project involves harvesting wild flower seed from species-rich upland hay meadows and spreading this seed on nearby meadows that are being restored. At least 100 hectares of meadow will be restored over the next three years throughout the North Pennines AONB".

The Hay Time initiative is working with farmers to look after these spectacular habitats

The Hay Time project has its own specialised harvesting and spreading machinery and trailers to transport them. The restoration schemes will receive agri-environment scheme funding from Natural England which will pay for the contractors' time. Full training will also be provided in operating the equipment.

The contractor will need to: provide secure storage for the machinery between April 2010 and March 2011; carry out basic maintenance (lubrication, etc.); provide two ATVs and/or two tractors with standard towbars to pull the machinery and have the means to transport the machinery by road between sites.

Details of the tender

To request details of the tender, including the application form, please contact Don Gamble at the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust on 015242 51002 or don.gamble@ydmt.org The closing date for receipt of tenders is 10am on Tuesday 23rd March 2010.