Installing protective measures to defend public spaces against vehicle-borne terror attacks or accidental collisions has traditionally been viewed as a necessary evil that keeps the public safe in areas of high footfall, like city centres, stations and sporting venues.
This has led to a tendency to give minimal consideration to how these measures look - and how they fit with the aesthetics of the surrounding environment. Too often, the result is ugly, obtrusive installations that remind people of the threat that exists, potentially putting them off from visiting and enjoying public spaces.
At Marshalls Landscape Protection, we’ve flipped this on its head.
Our mantra is to keep people safe, not scared. We design and build protective street furniture that is crash-tested to the highest available specifications but which blends in seamlessly with the landscape. Our approach enables architects, planners and designers to secure spaces without instilling fear.
To help our clients deliver this, we’ve developed three categories of products - defend, deflect and deter.
Defend
For areas of high risk, our protective landscape furniture enables our clients to create a far subtler and more visually appealing line of defence than concrete blocks.
The products, which range from planters, seating and litter bins to lighting columns, cycle racks and even signage, are built to stop cars, vans and lorries in their tracks and are crash-tested to the International Workshop Agreement (IWA) 14 certification. Built to the strongest classification, a single piece of street furniture can stop a 7.5-tonne lorry travelling at 50 mph.
Our most recent launch, the 100mm shallow foundation bollard, can be installed across town and city centres where space for excavation is often limited due to the presence of underground infrastructure. The new bollard, which is IWA 14 tested, can stop a 7.2-tonne lorry travelling at 40mph and has been designed to absorb energy on impact, reducing the load seen by the foundation.
Deflect
For more sheltered, lower risk areas, our Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 170 products offer security professionals options that are crash-tested to lower impact speeds and can be used to deflect a car or van. They provide the proof of performance that the previously specified anti-ram solutions couldn’t deliver, and can stop vehicles of up to 2.5 tonnes travelling up to 20 mph.
Deter
Finally, we provide our customers with products that can be installed on the perimeter of an area. They signify that a ‘buffer-zone’ has been created and provide a visual deterrent solution, building the perception that the space within is well protected. Our wide range of street furniture, telescopic bollards, post and rail systems and planters enables restricted vehicle access and guide pedestrian flow.
By considering the protective measures outlined here, our customers are able to deliver more secure spaces for the people using them.
To learn more about our protective street furniture, download our brochure. Our team are also available on 0370 600 2425 to advise you on how we can secure your project.