Phase 2 of Worcester Waterfront project to begin
Essential tree works are set to be carried out along South Parade and Kleve Walk next month, as part of the major improvements to the city’s riverside.
The works – which will start on Monday 30 November – will result in both South Parade and Kleve Walk closing for 2 weeks for public safety reasons. If the works progress well the path will be opened as soon as possible in appropriate sections.
The tree works will mark the start of Phase 2 of the Worcester Waterfront project, which will see improvements on the east side of the river, from the city bridge to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal junction; these will include improvements to key focal points, as well as providing additional seating, tree planting, signage and interpretation along the route.
The tree works will include the removal of a number of dead, diseased and structurally poor trees situated along South Quay, Kleve Walk and the river bank, including the large trees near the fountain which have suffered progressive dieback in recent years. Over the coming weeks, the trees will be checked by ecologists to ensure that wildlife and habitats will not be affected. Existing willow coppice on the river bank will be retained for wildlife value along with young alder re-growth.
Three new trees, a new variety of elm, will be planted this autumn in the existing tree locations adjacent to the Quay fountain; the remaining replacement tree planting – using the same variety of elm that is resistant to Dutch Elm Disease - will be carried out after the construction works of Phase 2 have been completed, all to form part of the new design and setting for the riverside.
Alison Vincent, Landscape Architect at Worcester City Council said : “This will be the first time a significant number of elms have been planted in the city for decades, since Dutch Elm Disease killed off so many of them in the 1970s. We are delighted to bring a new generation of elms to the city for everyone to enjoy.
"Many of the Alder trees we will be removing are suffering from a fungal disease called Phytophthora alni which kills the bark around the base of the stem and causes them to die."
Work on transforming the city’s waterfront began last year and will be completed during 2010 to coincide with the programme for the new Diglis bridge.
