Landscape - TrustNews Winter 1992
In the Autumn the Landscape Committee was involved in several proposed schemes amongst them Stanmore Estate and we attended a meeting (in St Luke's Church Hall) when the City planners presented ideas to local residents for improvements including play areas and tree planting. We also looked at the overall appearance of the estate in an endeavour to see that the original quality of the design and layout is maintained. The loss of hedges to front gardens which so enhanced the street scene have in many cases been replaced with poor fences and inappropriate walls. We would like to find some way of preventing this further deterioration. The shop/library area is badly in need of upgrading and the City planners intend to do this at sometime. We will be looking for extra tree planting as well.
Lower High Street. The City Landscape Architect showed us the proposed alterations to the entrance to the pedestrian precinct and removal of the 'goal posts' with their numerous signs. We did not agree with the provision of railings but it transpires that this will enable the signs to be at a lower level without conflicting with the access for pedestrians. A tree, seat and cycle stands are proposed and we asked that the street furniture be of complementary design.
We attended a meeting set up by the City planners and Engineers so that local shopkeepers and interested parties could comment on proposals for alterations and new paving in The Square. As the traffic and parking for cars is to remain unaltered we saw little point in the re-designing being hurriedly rushed through. But the money is only available if spent in this financial year ie work should start by March. Subsequent to our written observations, the City planners invited us and representatives from the architects Plincke Leaman & Browning to a meeting to go through the scheme. Several changes have now been made to the design but we are pressing for good quality natural materials to be used which will result in an effect of broad simplicity in this very important part of the City. We also requested that well designed street furniture, signs, lighting etc be rigorously selected and incorporated at the design stage. We are continuing to liaise with the City departments whilst detail plans are drawn up.
Upper Brook Street is another scheme being hurriedly prepared to meet financial spending dates and we attended the meeting for residents and others to voice their opinions to the City planners. We objected to the proposed bollards in the very narrow pavement outside the Heritage Centre and did not like the winding course of the roadway with ramps to act as traffic calming but detract from simple lines of this Victorian street. Also in Upper Brook Street we were glad to see small front gardens included in the residential redevelopment of the former UBM site but as this did not tally with the re-aligned road scheme we are not sure which will prevail! Other planning applications we have commented on include Pilgrims House in Arthur Road where we objected to the front garden being turned into four car parking spaces and are pleased this has been refused.
We welcome the proposed replacement bridge over the stream at the rear of Kingsland House Chesil Street which follows closely the design of the original, but in natural wood. We would like to retain the white painted finish which gives great scenic value to a much used riverside walk. The Trust has therefore put forward a proposal that it share any additional cost involved and to look at ways it could assist in maintaining the bridge in the future.
We reported to the City the mutilation of a large Sycamore tree near the corner of Kingsgate Road and Norman Road where only the trunk has been left and the City arboricultural officer is to contact the contractor responsible. In future when consent is granted for work on good specimen trees he will insist that prior notice be given of commencement of the work. On the plus side we have noticed that good tree surgery has been carried out recently on several prominent specimen trees.