Lichfield DC get delivery of new Cushman 1600XD-R

Peter Driverin Local Authority

Lichfield 059Launched in the UK on January 1 this year, the first Cushman 1600XD-R utility vehicle has been delivered to Lichfield District Council by local dealer Burrows GM of Stafford. Primarily for use on the 18 hole pitch and putt golf course in Beacon Park, the vehicle will also be used for general grounds maintenance duties within the park.

The 1600XD-R combines two- and four-wheel-drive with a powerful 22 hp, diesel engine and automatic, continuously variable transmission (CVT) with low- and high-gear ratios. It has a top speed of 25mph and has excellent hauling and towing capacity.

Beacon Park was recently awarded two major accolades - Green Flag status and also the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) National Grand award following the restoration of the historic open space. The Cushman utility vehicle will be used for moving people, equipment and materials around the golf course and also for a variety of maintenance duties around the park.

Gary Brownridge, Lichfield's Street Scene and Transport Manager commented, "There is a wide range of compact utility vehicles on the market and we looked at several that fitted our initial brief. We reviewed the options and the best value was obtained by purchasing the Cushman 1600. It is road legal and provides a comfortable ride, which is important, as the depot is quite a distance from Beacon Park. Another factor was the service excellence we receive from our local dealer, Burrows GM; their support for our mower fleet over the years has been of the highest level."

Lichfield 054Dating back to the late 1800s, Beacon Park is set in more than 70 acres of beautiful formal gardens and open space. Together with Minster Pool and the Garden of Remembrance it underwent extensive renovation in 2010 and 2011; the result of a multi-million pound grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund.

Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Gary Chamberlain added, "The carrying capacity of the Cushman is around 720 kgs, which is very respectable and means that we won't have to make multiple journeys around the golf course when carrying materials like top dressings. The ground clearance is also very good and it can tow a trailer of almost 600 kgs.

Cushman is a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) brand and is distributed in the UK by Ransomes Jacobsen . For more information on the Cushman line of light-transportation vehicles for commercial, industrial and turf applications, please visit www.cushman.co.uk

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