Landscape Committee - Trust Annual Report 1991
In the past year the Landscape Committee has continued to comment on planning applications submitted to the City for tree work and landscape proposals. We have visited the sites and attended presentations of the schemes for larger developments as reported in the Newsletter.
The Committee is particularly concerned at the lack of good, new, well designed schemes and also the poor standard of materials and workmanship of those that are implemented.
We are looking at the proposed bicycle routes, one from Kings Worthy and the other from St. Cross, into the City centre and asking that co-operation with all departments concerned be undertaken at an early stage to ensure that lighting, footpaths, signposts and all street furniture including cycle stands are integrated and not in conflict with each other.
Members may have noticed that the newly planted Plane tree by Bejams and the Friarsgate pedestrian crossing is too close to the lamp post (less than 1.5 metres), and that there are two hanging baskets on the lamp post brackets. Lamps and flowers are already intermingling in the tree!
We suggested to the City Planners that the Park Road entrance to North Walls Park should have an overall scheme to upgrade what could be an attractive area for many to enjoy, and we are pleased that the City Amenities Committee are to look at the area as a whole. We objected to the positioning of the Skateboard Park near this entrance, but this is now in operation and appears to have slipped past the City Planners without consideration for the adjoining recreational area.
We have also made our views known to the City Planners about the High Street and the mix of signs, paving and use of small slabs, all of which have produced a very unsatisfactory result. We are encouraged that the Planners are to look at the scheme and make improvements; a bit late but we wait to see their proposals. We made several points about the landscaping aspects of the development brief for the Upper/Middle Brook Street area, including our preference for brick paving with mortar joints instead of concrete paviors which provide a sterile appearance. We asked if residents could be involved at an early stage and so take an interest in the whole area. We suggested that if the Bingo Hall is to remain it should be covered with Virginia Creeper.
Hampshire County Council submitted a landscape scheme for the New Record Office for what little space remains after the car parking provisions. We consider that cars will dominate even the inner part of the site and are particularly disappointed that no screening was proposed between the cars and the public footpath linking the Station and Sussex Street. We consider that the standard of this landscape scheme leaves a lot to be desired.
The Trust will sponsor a tree to be planted in National Tree Week this Autumn and we are considering suitable sites.