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Chilworth and its environs are rightly
recognised as having some of the finest suburban scenery in south
Hampshire. Whatever the season, there is always something to catch the
eye - rowan berries, magnificent show of bluebells, beech leaves in
spring, cherry trees in flower, Chilworth Manor's giant Tulip tree. And
most of these features relate to trees, directly or indirectly.
Southampton Science Park is no different
from the rest of the village in this regard, having some fine specimen
trees, such as the mature Monterey Pine near the exit to Manor Road and
the Lime Tree avenue that bisects the site. Not all our attractive trees
have been inherited from the period when the Chilworth Estate was under
the custodianship of the Willis Fleming family. For example, the avenue
of Red Oaks on Venture Road, planted in the mid 1980s, has now reached a
sufficient state of maturity to be the subject of a tree preservation
order. As I write, it is just taking on its cloak of autumn colours.
Economic development is often portrayed
as being in conflict with environmental conservation, but this is not
inevitable. For example, Hazel Copse, an ancient coppiced wood on the
Science Park, with a magnificent show of bluebells in spring, has its
future conservation guaranteed for the next 100 years by a management
plan agreed between BSkyB and the Borough Council.
It is with these thoughts in mind that we
proposed the phased replacement of the double Lime Tree Avenue across
the middle of the Science Park. Some of the trees in the avenue have
been lost, due to gales and disease. Others have undergone regeneration
but are unattractive due to multiple stems. Some diseased trees will
need to be felled soon. All could do to be pruned to enhance their life
expectancy. Whether a conservative maintenance strategy is followed or a
more radical replacement strategy, the avenue badly needs attention. But
where will the resource come from to carry out the work?
The area within the avenue has outline
planning permission and is likely to be developed. This could be the
source of the money needed to carry out the work. Our plan would see the
avenue completely regenerated over a period of 25 years and restored to
a state of uniformity that few, if any, Chilworth residents will be old
enough to remember. Yet throughout the period of regrowth, the essential
features of the avenue will be maintained by taking out the inner tree
rows first, followed by the outer rows only when the replanted inner
rows have reached a sufficient state of maturity.
Developers are part of the community -
and at Southampton Science Park we are committed to finding the right
balance between safeguarding our environment and planning for the area's
economic prosperity.
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