Hampton Hill Trees Consultation

Overview

Hampton Hill High Street is currently undergoing major improvement works following consultation with residents and businesses in 2015.

As these works include repaving the footways, the existing trees outside 169 to 177 Hampton Hill High Street (around Tesco), require special consideration.

Currently there are eight Cherry trees along this section of the pavement. Tree roots on Cherry trees are shallow, usually within the top 600mm of the soil, and highly prone to disturb and lift paving. On Hampton Hill High Street, high surface roots are evident, with pavement damage visible and bitumen repairs having been carried out in the past.

The new paving works will inevitably disturb the existing shallow tree root systems, which is expected to affect their health. The growing roots are also likely to lift the new paving in time, leading to future damaged footways and trip hazards, as in the existing situation.

For these reasons the Council's arboricultural team believe this scheme offers an opportunity to replace the Cherry trees with more appropriate and attractive trees, with modern underground cellular soil pits. This will eliminate future paving and maintenance problems, ensure a long term healthy environment for the trees, and provide a larger and more attractive public realm space for public use and placement of street furniture.

Proposals:

As a result of these concerns, three options are currently being proposed:

Option 1 is to retain the existing Cherry trees, laying the new paving around the existing shallow exposed root tree pits. All efforts will be made to minimise disruption, but it cannot be eliminated. There is a considerable risk that this disruption could lead to the trees suffering as a result. There will be ongoing future maintenance and disruption issues with this option also.

Option 2A is to remove the eight existing trees, and replace them with five new trees in a mixture of Himalayan Birch and Sweet Gums, planted in new underground tree pits. This will provide all of the benefits mentioned above, in addition to being a more appropriate and attractive species for a typical high street environment. The reduction in number of trees is proposed to achieve an increase in public space and a reduction in clutter, alongside additional street lighting and CCTV security benefits. New trees will be added in other locations to compensate for this reduction, resulting in an anticipated net gain in the total number of trees along the High Street.

Option 2B is to remove the eight existing trees, and replace them with five new Cherry trees, in new underground tree pits. A mixture of two species of Cherry tree are proposed for this option, namely Prunus ‘Sunset Boulevard’ and Prunus Padus Albertii. This will provide most of the benefits mentioned above, whilst retaining the existing Cherry tree legacy.

The Council would like to hear the views of local residents and businesses about this proposal to replace the trees. Please read the consultation document below then submit your views using the online survey below or pick up a paper copy from Hampton Hill Library.