Page under development March 2025
Hedgerow Planting 2025
On Monday 20th January 2025 we learnt that the Woodland Trust was looking for more applicants for its Free Trees for Schools and Communities scheme. Baby trees would be delivered last week of February/first week of March and applications had to be submitted the same week (no later than 26th January)!
A whirlwind of a week followed, in which a potential site for a new hedgerow was confirmed at the north end of Sherborne Road, Parklands, beside Otter Close and St Paul's Road. All conversations about the principle and practicalities were positive and we were able to submit our application on Friday 24th January.
Find out more about the site below, and what happened next.
The Site
(Approximately farms.years.cones at What3Words)
Explore Google Streetview from St Paul's Road (above) and Otter Close (below).
N.B. The July 2021 view shows temporary works relating to Southern Water's construction of a new pumped main sewer connection to Whitehouse Farm (Minerva Heights development). A construction compound in the south-east of the green area was accessed from Sherborne Road.
The site as described in our application for the Woodland Trust trees:
"A prominent but little-used (almost boggy) large sloping open public green space with occasional trees. Amenity grass that is regularly mown when the tractor can get on it.
St Paul’s Road to the north marks the boundary of the original post-WW2 Parklands Council estate which combines with an earlier 1930s urban extension to retain its distinct, planned, community identity, now reinforced by modern communications.
There are important mid-distance views of Chichester cathedral to the south-east and road safety sightlines which we will keep well clear of".
Why plant a hedgerow?
As explained in our application for the Woodland Trust trees, "to improve:
- public amenity (St Paul’s Road is a busy road) - visual, scent, wildlife, air quality, potentially small noise screening impact;
- biodiversity/wildlife - food/shelter/connectivity;
- public engagement (possibility that hedgerow screening may encourage greater use of greenspace, particularly if it helps absorb water; plus community cohesion through planting and care for the new hedge);
- visual reinforcement/softening of bund landowner created in 2024 as part of a city-wide response to traveller behaviours."
We requested the following Tree Packs:
- Year Round Colour (105 trees)
a mixture of hawthorn, silver birch, rowan, wild cherry and dogwood offering blossom, berries, leaf and bark colour throughout the year;
- Wild Wood (420 trees)
a hardy native species mix of downy birch, hawthorn, hazel and goat willow suitable for an exposed site and to help dry up areas where water collects easily;
- Urban Tree (3 x 15 trees)
a handful each of crab apple, rowan and silver birch intended for other urban spaces in the Parklands community.
What we did
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What happens next
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Our thanks
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Page created: 14th March 2025.