Work is starting on the first stage of South Gloucestershire Council’s landscaping programme for Kingswood Park, which will involve major accessibility and biodiversity improvements.
This forms part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund award. The work includes laying a stone path as well as major tree landscaping work, with the public invited to help create a new green wildlife corridor.
Over the winter work will begin to create the missing section of a circular route around the park. The 150 metre section will be laid between Orchard Road and Edward Road using local limestone. The stone has been selected as a more environmentally friendly option compared to standard asphalt as it allows air to reach the roots of trees.
As the area near the path includes mature lime trees, the council will be using no dig construction techniques to protect the sensitive environment and root systems of the trees.
The tree landscaping work will involve the removal of 70 metres of Leylandii trees and replacing them with native hedgerow which will provide a much better source of food and shelter for wildlife, including hedgehogs, birds and small mammals. The Leylandii trees were planted originally as a screen but provide little benefit to wildlife compared to a native hedgerow. The felled timber will be put to good use, with the timber used to make path edges for the nature reserve area. The bark chippings will be used to create this new path and used to mulch the newly planted hedgerow. The timber will also be used to make a dead hedge along the park boundary providing a new habitat that will benefit insects and birds. Once established the new hedgerow will have greater amenity value.
Local people are invited to help create this wildlife habitat with a ‘hedgerow heroes’ planting day on Saturday 7 December, 10.30am to 2.30pm as part of National Tree Week 2024.
The next phase of the council’s wider work programme will begin in spring next year and will include revamping the amphitheatre with new seating and performance area, as well as the building of a new accessible toilet block, creating more accessible paths and extending the play area.