Park Improvements to boost tourism in area

Over the next two months, The Mersey Forest, in collaboration with St Helens Council will be making minor improvements to King George V Playing Fields. It is intended to encourage more people to use the park and other local green spaces and attractions in the area, and to make the park itself more welcoming.

These works include the planting of bulbs ,improved access from the car park, painting of fencing, more avenue trees and the creation of small coppice areas and seasonal wildflower planting. Both local community groups and schools have been (bulb planting and ceramic tile designs) and will be involved in activities around these works.

This will makes it easier to access areas like The Dream Sculpture and eventually the newly wooded Lord St Helens tip site, or Brickfields, and encourage residents and visitors to walk and cycle more.

The proposals will not affect existing football pitches and warm up areas alongside these.

These improvements are funding by Cory Environmental Trust’s Landfill Communities Fund, Access to Nature funding from Natural England and The Big Lottery, Setting The Scene For Growth funding through the Forestry Commission and The Big Tree Plant assisted by The Woodland Trust’s MOREwoods programme.

Consultation Event at Shining Lights Centre Sutton Manor

How to get there!
This Wednesday 5-7 p.m.

New funding for street trees in Sutton Manor

Funding from the Northwest Regional Development Agency through the Forestry Commission's Setting The Scene For Growth programme has been secured by The Mersey Forest Green Streets initiative to bring 65 park, verge and pavement trees to Sutton Manor.

Ben Greenaway Green Streets Coordinator said 'these trees will bring greenery to an area lacking in street greenery and will link residents through green routes to their locally improved green spaces such as King George V fields and Sutton Manor home of The Dream'.

'Together with newly greened Lord St Helens local residents will eventually have access to a large network of accessible green space.This has got to be good for the health and well being of residents of south St Helens as well as visitors to the area'!

Trees go In

A Birch tree planted on a green space in the Four Acres residential area

The first trees are now being planted across the Four Acres estate as part of a substantial investment in the community for residents of south St Helens.87 new and replacement trees will adorn the streets ready for spring bud break in the coming weeks.Contractor Blakedown Landscapes will be responsible for the planting and initial establishment of the trees.Trees will link residents with local amenities,schools and green spaces.

Landscape Contractor Appointed

North of England based landscape contractor, Blakedown Landscapes has been appointed to deliver the Green Streets project around Four Acre St Helens.The work involves the excavation of over 80 tree pits and the planting of extra heavy standard trees of about 3-4m in height.

The trees, planted in pavements,verges and in the local park -King George V Playing Fields, will give a sense of instant impact to the streets.

Bright green guards will protect the trees from accidental damage from cars whilst allowing the clearance of litter or debris build up around the tree.

Residents will be encouraged to plant up around the trees with bulbs or small flowering plants.

The contract is estimated to take around 3 weeks to complete in readiness for spring bud break when trees burst into life!

Landscape Architect Appointed

Architects Ombler Iwanowski have been appointed by The Mersey Forest on behalf of St Helens Council to take forward plans to plant over 80 trees in the Four Acre and nearby Sutton Manor area linking residents to local shopping, neighbourhood services,schools and green spaces in the area.

Griff Evans of OI Architects (pictures left) said 'we have a wide range of experience of delivering this type of scheme in regeneration areas across the Mersey belt.I think this is a great scheme that offers an opportunity to bring a variety of colourful ornamental trees to this community and it will certainly brighten up the streets of south St Helens'

Your Questions answered on Street Trees

Click image to enlarge

Green Streets Four Acre Sutton Manor and Lea Green plans announced

A visualisation using Visualise2D of how Jubits Lane might look with trees planted as you approach the Smithy Manor public house from the M62 Junction 7.

Here's a map of the delivery areas and some explanation of the work. Green Streets aims to link residential and business development areas to areas of the 'forest park' through using street trees as natural signposting to local green spaces.

The Mersey Forest has announced its ambitious plans for a Green Streets delivery across south St Helens in order to meet the ever increasing demand for street trees in the area.

To find out more follow this blog which will keep you posted of developments as they happen!!

Case Studies St Helens

Click on screen below to view


Four Acres St Helens

Open publication - Free publishing - More st helens

Images of Previous Delivery in St Helens

See how to apply for a grant at the bottom of the page!!

Here are some photos of the project recently delivered in and around Parr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenstreeter/3364117674/

and Four Acres in St Helens
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenstreeter/3058509099/in/photostream/

Green Streets programme 2009 onwards in St Helens

What has been achieved to date?

The Mersey Forest’s Green Streets programme ran a successful delivery in the Bold Ward in 2007 and 2008, culminating in the delivery of 67 streets trees in pavement locations around the Four Acres estate.
The programme worked with a local group to apply for £6K from Bold Ward Committee and The Mersey Forest brought in additional external funding to deliver a £28K programme.

What are the local strategic reasons?

The key reason for this tree planting was the improvement of the publicly accessible open spaces around the Sutton Manor, Four Acres and Clock Face area. By planting trees the Green Streets programme would not only create local greenery for residents within their immediate neighbourhood, but this would create green linkages for them to walk and cycle to these open spaces and to local facilities like shops,the library and health facilities.

By planting trees, residents are:

· actively involved in taking ownership of their street tree
· in the decision making process (tree location and species choice)
· take pride in their local neighbourhood
· are more likely to get involved in active citizenship in the future

Why St Helens as part of The Mersey Forest wants to plant more trees

filter pollution from the air
help recycle water
prevent soil loss
create shade
give shelter from wind and rain
provide homes for animals
make food for humans and wildlife
provide an interesting, soothing, learning environment for children and your community
a more pleasant environment encourages inward investment in terms of jobs and spend in the local area
mitigate the effects of climate change i.e. by
Reducing the ‘urban heat island effect’ – warming in the winter, cooling in the summer Absorbing water to slow down run off and help prevent flooding

How will The Mersey Forest assist residents who apply?
Green Streets staff will guide the applicant through the full process and encourage involvement where possible through the following steps
· Feasibility study
· Assistance with applications
· Liaison with funders and stakeholders
· evaluation and consultation
. Contract management
· Residential involvement
· Project management
· Successful delivery

How many trees would £10K provide?

This amount may provide up top 20 street trees, or more; subject to location, tree size and type, the number of applications in any given year and the availability of match funding.
www.merseyforest.org.uk/greenstreets

St Helens Green Streets

click on image to enlarge

plain text info here:

St Helens Council and The Mersey Forest invite you to submit your ideas and applications to your St Helens Ward Committee for a Green Streets Street Tree planting.

Trees can be on residential streets in pavements, grass verges or in open spaces near your home. Green Streets is a community based tree planting project that has run a successful pilot scheme in the Bold Ward in 2008 and wants to extend the scheme across St Helens.
Applications are welcomed for schemes up to the value of £10000

If you have an idea please contact Ben on 01925 816 217

or e mail ben@merseyforest.org.uk

http://issuu.com/greenstreeter/docs/four_acres_tmf_case_study?mode=a_p