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Trees on campus

Message from Alan Charters, Director of Capital Developments

"The University is rightly proud of its green open spaces, the habitats they provide for wildlife and the pleasure they give to all of us living, studying and working on campus. We have a long term vision to improve our campus, building new environmentally efficient student residences and creating new open parkland areas that will provide a haven for wildlife and a tranquil space for us. While we are working towards this vision, there will be a period of transition. While every effort has been made to plan around existing trees, some will need to be felled to make way for the new buildings and pedestrian boulevards. The next phase of the works begins next week (w/c 17 May) when trees will be felled between the Library and Dalton Tower. This is obviously very regrettable, but once the works to the pedestrian boulevard are complete, towards the end of the summer, replacements of native and ornamental trees will be planted."

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James, I have commissioned a study which will gather together information in respect of which trees are being retained, with regret which ones are being felled and details the replacement strategy. This report should be available within 4 weeks, and may lead to some changes in the proposals. When I have the full details I will be better placed to answer your question and the intention is to place the overall planting strategy on the website.Alan Charters17/05/2010 16:39:32
Are all the trees being felled between Library and Dalton - surely some of the more mature ones (willows) can be saved as they add green space to a bare area and will take years to look good again. There were trees removed from grass close to the lake in 2008 (willows again) as part of the residences development that did not need to be removed in the end and I hope we are not making the same mistakes again. I appreciate that the pedestrian walkway will look good, but without proper mature trees it will also be barren, especially as more mature trees will also be removed from the new Library frontage and more may be removed close to Dalton as the towers come down. The new trees planted 3 years ago outside ABS building still look like sticks to be honest, even in summer!james seymour17/05/2010 15:33:29
Susan, along with the Campus Wildlife Group the trees were checked last week and no nests were found, although a question remained as a green finch seemed to be interested in one beech tree. A high level access machine will be used to check this tree on Tuesday and if it is found to contain a nest then that tree will be left until the end of the nesting season.Alan Charters17/05/2010 12:49:15
As it is currently the nesting season, have checks taken place to ensure there are no birds nesting in the trees which you are planning to fell? If birds are to be found nesting in the trees, could the work be postponed?Susan Doughty17/05/2010 10:06:00