Bird conservation project for Piccadilly hotel

DEP Landscape Architecture has been appointed by Property Alliance Group to create a habitat for a breeding population of rare black redstarts as part of the new Premier Inn Hotel development in Piccadilly, Manchester.

The landscaped site will contain crushed brick, rubble and stone in varying heights, a sedum turfed area, with planting including herbaceous perennials and wetland planting at the edge of the canal. It is intended to create the ideal foraging habitat for the small but important breeding population of black redstarts which are found in the Piccadilly Basin area.

The black redstart population is already in decline due to the large scale redevelopment of Manchester city centre which has caused the loss of brownfield sites for feeding the birds as well as suitable built structures for nesting. In line with the Greater Manchester Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), DEP's proposed landscaping scheme adjacent to the hotel is designed to create the ideal habitat for the colonisation of invertebrates and insects – replicating the habitats on which the black redstarts typically forage.

Chris Podmore, DEP's managing director, said: "It's good to be part of the ongoing commercial redevelopment of our home city but even better to be able offer long term ecological benefits to the scheme. Wherever possible we try to promote sustainability and wildlife biodiversity within our landscaping projects and this latest Premier Inn hotel contract typifies that approach."

The new £10m, 193-bedroom hotel, Premier Inn's fourth in Manchester city centre, is being built by Russells Construction on behalf of developer Property Alliance Group. The hotel on the corner of Dale Street and Lena Street, close to Piccadilly railway station, it is expected to be open by late 2012.