PlantC has been operating since 2023 as part of public contracts (SPGE, SPW, InBW, Municipality of Rochefort, Amay, etc.). In this article, we offer a focus on our collaboration with SPI.
What is SPI?
SPI, a territorial development agency, is a key player in the province of Liège. It particularly facilitates the establishment and development of businesses.
In summary, SPI means 65 business parks, spread over 3,150 hectares and nearly 2,900 businesses.
In its development strategy, SPI strives to ensure the landscape and environmental integration of its business parks, with an increasing focus on the “biodiversity” theme.
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To achieve this, SPI commissions operators, such as PlantC, to define the appropriate landscape measures. Thus, the companies that establish themselves within SPI’s economic activity parks will have to implement the said landscape measures. This notably involves the planting of hedges and trees to harmonize the landscape within the Liège industrial parks.
And what about PlantC in all this?
The intermunicipal body commits to contributing to the adaptation of the territory it develops, in order to address climate change: creation of cooling islands, mitigation of flood risks, maintenance or reinforcement of indigenous fauna and flora.
Furthermore, these commitments are at the core of PlantC’s social purpose. As a reminder, the projects we develop and the contracts we fulfill must meet four cumulative objectives:
- Support biodiversity, through the creation or restoration of habitats or ecological corridors;
- Contribute to carbon sequestration in soils or biomass, through photosynthesis;
- Contribute to the adaptation of our territories by mitigating one or more risks: soil erosion, flooding, cold or drying winds, heat islands;
- Contribute to a local economy where humans and nature work as synergistically as possible.
Therefore, bidding for this contract was particularly important to us, with a view to long-term collaboration. In August 2023, PlantC was appointed by SPI, under a framework agreement “Landscape and Environmental Measures”, in the presence of the Atelier Cup and AEP firms.
In practice, how does it work on the ground?
Our collaboration with SPI is therefore structured around two types of missions:
The implementation of landscape measures on the various business sites.
In this regard, we endeavor to propose arrangements that are meaningful for biodiversity, while taking into account industrial constraints. Initially, the team meets with the company and/or its architect on-site with the aim of securing their commitment to integrating landscape measures on their site. We draw up a “ready-to-use” and pragmatic technical report detailing:
- The general philosophy – a sketch/plan – the list of species, size, height, quantities of requested plantings – recommendations for optimal implementation.
- A cost estimate.
Specifically, this involves plantings of diversified hedges and standard trees. We were even able to propose the creation of ponds, flower meadows, or wildlife shelters. These developments combine different objectives:
- The user functionality; the proposals integrate site-related constraints (permits, traffic, existing situation, etc.).
- Countering heat islands (shade for cars, buildings).
- Strengthening the ecological network and biodiversity.
Did you know, for example, that standard trees allow a series of bats to echolocate in these concrete-covered spaces? ).
Once these developments have been identified and recorded in a precise report, a security deposit equal to the estimated cost of the developments is requested from the company upon signing the land deeds. The company then has 3 years from the date of the deed to carry out the work. Once the work has been properly implemented, it is reimbursed a first installment of 75%, and the remaining 25% is reimbursed one year later after verification of the successful establishment of the plantings.
Verification of SPI landscape measures.
Once the advice has been provided by ourselves or our colleagues, we must verify if the landscape measures have been properly undertaken and if they comply with the initial conditions.
This serves to certify the proper implementation of the recommended measures.
To date, PlantC has submitted 16 reports on “Landscape and Environmental Measures” and 14 verification reports.
In a future article, we will tell you about another public mission in which we play a role, so stay tuned!
