Here’s a question. Would you rather work on a site surrounded by barbed wire and brick walls, or one with dense shrubberies and trees? Would you prefer to park your car in an area ringed with concrete barriers, or hedges and shrubs? Finally, would you rather large windows with a view of beautifully landscaped grounds, or of a concrete jungle?
To be honest, we know the answer! But a lot of people think that if you’re putting security first, then those dreary, stone options are the only choice. But did you know that one of the key benefits of having good grounds maintenance is that it makes your premises much safer, in a natural way?
Using landscaping as a form of deterrent is quite common. It’s even got its own name – Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, or CPTED. It originated in urban America, and is defined as using nature and landscaping to improve access control and reduce crime on a site. But how does it work, and how can you embrace it for your premises?
Defensive Planting
The plants you choose can have a huge impact not just on the way your grounds look, but how well they can defend you from intruders. For example, planting dense, thorny hedges like holly and pyracantha means that criminals won’t be able to hide in them or climb through them. Choosing a high-growing hedge for your perimeter means it will be almost impossible for someone to climb, and limits visibility to potentially vulnerable areas from the outside. Plants can also be positioned strategically to block access points and create natural barriers where you need them. Finally, opting for gravel pathways means that anyone approaching will make a lot of noise, taking sneaking off the table.
Create Carpark Safety
It’s very important to keep vehicles in the areas they’re supposed to be, and out of the way of pedestrians, utility points or the building itself. Barriers or bollards are a fine option, but if you want your grounds to be more aesthetically pleasing, you can opt for trees, large shrubs, boulders or planters. All of these are large enough that they will keep cars in the right areas of the car park, and not allow anyone to ram into the entrance of the building. They’re also an effective way of separating road space from pedestrian space, keeping everyone visiting your premises safe.
Eliminate Hiding Places
The last thing you want is for a criminal to be able to sneak up on your building, avoiding security cameras so that they can slink inside. Overgrown plants and hedges are the perfect hiding place for a criminal, so by keeping your grounds well maintained you can make sure everyone on site is visible – even if they aren’t supposed to be there. This is especially useful if your building has large windows overlooking the grounds.
Get People Outside
We’ve talked before about the importance of having good outdoor spaces before, in terms of your employee wellbeing, mental health and productivity. But did you know there’s also a security benefit to it? Having people out and about in your grounds – walking, having meetings, working or just taking a break, means lots of extra pairs of eyes on your grounds. So put some effort into creating aesthetically pleasing areas in your grounds that people want to be in, so that if they see something suspicious, they can report it to security.
If you would like to know more about grounds maintenance and defensive landscaping, or you would like to chat to someone in-depth about your requirements and how we can help, we’d love to hear from you. Just get in touch with us today to book in your free site visit.
