- Introduction
The Group has held four meetings and, in addition, a small committee,
appointed to draft this report has met on two occasions.
- The Detailed Survey
The first step taken was to carry out a survey of all the existing
trees in the City area which are considered of landscape value and,
at the same time, notes were made of important trees requiring
replacement in the near future and of areas lacking trees, where it
is considered that their presence would contribute towards the
appearance of the City.
The survey was carried out by small parties, to each of which an area
was allocated, and their findings were brought together in the form
of a plan, to a scale of 1/5000, together with detailed notes which
list:
a. Places where trees are needed and there is space for them;
b. Areas where re-planting is required;
c. Trees requiring preservation, groups being shown separately
from individual trees;
d. comments made by members of survey parties.
On this plan are shown:
In Green - Trees and groups which are of value to the landscape. This
classification is not intended to imply that these trees are
necessarily good specimens, of suitable species or well placed, but
that they do in fact exist and that their presence contributes
something to the landscape value of the City.
In Brown - Prominent trees that will need replacement in the near
future.
In Yellow - Places where there are few or no trees at present and
specimens or groups are considered necessary.
It is intended that this plan should be kept for reference by the
Society and it will need periodic revision.
- The Summary Plan
A smaller plan to a scale of 6 in to 1 mile has also been prepared
and is appended to this report.
[Note - The plans are unfortunately missing from our archives]
On this smaller plan are shown, in broad outline, the recommendations
made by the Group and in particular the areas where action is
urgently needed.
The colouring on this plan is as follows:
Red - Areas near the centre of the City which are due for development
or re-development. These areas contain a number of garden hedges
forest and fruit trees, as many as possible of which should be
retained.
Green - Open areas which are on the whole well provided with trees,
but where improvements can be made in places.
Yellow - Areas where trees are needed.
- Summary of the findings of the survey parties
It was found that the landscaping of the City can be divided into
five distinct categories, as follows:
a. The closely developed Central Area, including the Close.
This area is urban in character, but it contains a number of trees
and hedges of landscape value. The important trees include forest
trees in the Close and in gardens along Gaia Lane, fruit trees such
as those in the gardens between Market Place and Minster Pool, many
of which the Group consider must be preserved when the new car park
is formed, and the hedges and fruit trees in the gardens between
Stowe Street and Stowe Pool.
b. Private Estates, landscaped during the 18th century or earlier;
for example Beacon Park, Stowe Hill, Stowe House and the belt of
woodland on the East side of the Maple Hayes Estate. Also into this
category would come the gardens at the rear of St John's Hospital.
These properties contain for the main part trees which have attained
or passed their maturity (with the exception of some recent plantings
in Beacon Park).
Except for Beacon Park and Stowe House all these trees are in
private ownership and, owing to their value in the City's landscape,
every encouragement and assistance should be given to the owners to
protect and replace them.
c. Other open spaces; for example Victoria Hospital, Friary School,
Churchyards and playing fields.
Some of these areas are well provided with trees and some are not so
well, so there is room for improvement. New planting has taken place
at the Grammar School, and the Friary Gardens are a pleasant example
of what has been done in the past. It is, however, considered that
more expert advice on layout is required than appears to have been
used up-to-date.
d. Areas of recent development.
In general it was found that no organised planting has been done and
no room left in the layout of new housing estates for anything larger
than small garden trees. Particularly bad examples of this are
Brownsfield Crescent and Redlock Fields, and the Curborough Housing
Estate needs small groups of trees to break up the blocks of houses.
In such areas as the green in St Michael Road and in Cherry Orchard
attempts to grow trees have been defeated by vandalism but it is
hoped that this will not deter future planting.
It was noted that in St Michael Road the garden hedges are an
attractive feature and it was considered that similar hedges would
look better than the post and wire fences used on some estates.
The Council has planted some trees, of garden varieties on their
estates but no policy appears to have been adopted to ensure that
future layouts, which are approved by the Council, provide space for
planting.
e. Areas of future development, including both trading and housing
sites for public and private development.
In such areas as Levetts Field, the Borrowcop Hill development which
is just starting, the area between the Railway Line and Cherry Orchard,
the site of the old tip at Curborough, the Trent Valley link road (on
both sides), and the other areas coloured Yellow on the plan,
immediate action should be taken to provide for the planting of
groups and belts of trees. Many opportunities have already been lost
and the matter is most pressing.
- Recommendations for action by the Society
In the last section of this report a number of suggestions and
recommendations were made and in order to implement these it is
proposed that the Society should take the following action:
1. Make the detailed survey and notes available for reference by the
Council and private individuals.
2. Press the City Council to:
a. Provide for the planting of groups and single specimen trees in
areas of new development;
b. Insist, when approving layouts for new development, that provision
is made for landscaping;
c. Prepare a long-term scheme to provide for the planting of belts or
large groups of trees to break up the area of buildings;
d. Employ a landscape architect who should be asked to advise on all
plans for future development and also to make recommendations
regarding which trees need preservation and replacement.
The Group is aware that this has been considered and that the cost
deterred the Council from employing a full-time Landscape Architect.
However, the cost of having a survey carried out and a plan prepared
showing future policy should not be alarming and should be reduced
considerably by the work already done by members of this group whose
survey is available. The cost of referring to the same Landscape
Architect any plans which do not appear to conform to his basic
recommendations should not be high.
3. Most of the important trees are privately owned and the City
Council should be urged to use its powers under Section 28 of the
Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, to make Tree Preservation Orders
in suitable cases to ensure the preservation of trees of importance
to the landscape, particularly in areas of new development, where
sound existing trees could be retained.
4. Approach, when considered desirable, public and private owners of
land with requests that they should plant trees in certain places to
screen ugly dumps and works. It is appreciated that such dumps are
necessary but their usefulness need in no way be impaired by
screening from the public gaze.
5. The destruction of some recently planted trees indicates that
efforts are needed to educate the public, and younger members in
particular, in the appreciation of trees in the City landscape. It
is proposed that the Society should press the Education Authorities
to take full advantage of the Forestry Commission's offer to provide
up to 100 forest tree plants for use in the grounds of a school. If
the children could plant and look after trees it should go a long way
towards overcoming this problem for the future. Posters and lectures
are also suggested.
- Future Maintenance
A policy of regular inspection, removal of dead and dying trees,
re-planting, pruning etc., is necessary if the trees that form an
essential part of the City's landscape are to continue to play their
full part. As many private owners inevitably lack the necessary
knowledge it is proposed that the City Council should maintain a list
of persons and organisations from whom advice and assistance can be
obtained and advertise that fact.
An appendix to this report contains a list of books and leaflets
relating to trees in towns which are recommended to members of the
Society and others; also the names and addresses of some
organisations from whom advice can be obtained. Among those
organisations are some Societies which accept Local Authorities as
well as individuals as members.
Mrs B.Y. Tetlow
Trees & Planting Study Group
November, 1961