‘Marnel Dell’
supports a small copse of beech trees, to the west of the Marnel Park site.
There are also key areas where existing ecological features have been retained. These are:
- The two north/south shelterbelts on the Merton Rise site.
- Hawthorn hedgerows along both sides of the Sherborne Road
- The majority of one small area of calcareous grassland along the eastern boundary
- The retention of existing oak trees and existing boundary planting on the John Hunt of Everest site.
There are also several areas of new planting, which have been provided in different locations in the Merton Rise site. These comprise the following areas: Spine Road Corridor, Buffer Planting, and Shelterbelts.
Structure Planting
Landscaped belts of predominantly native woodland planting create a sensitive northern and eastern edge to development. This planting is of an informal character and does not form an obvious hard-edge. Other areas of buffer planting have been provided along the southern edge of the development, adjacent to existing housing.
Shelterbelts
Existing shelterbelts have been retained and reinforced to create planting in belts that help moderate the microclimate and provide a green backdrop to the development.
Sensitive integration of existing landscape features such as tree belts and hedgerows in to the built form, while adding structural planting where required, is part of David Wilson Home’s strategy for Marnel Park. For example, existing hawthorn hedgerows have been preserved and reinforced along Carpenter’s Down and the northern site boundary. The substantial planting along the northern edge reinforces existing hedgerows and woodland and provides containment and helps screen views of the development from the north.
Spine Road Corridor
Formal street tree planting stretches much of the length of the road to characterise its importance in the network.
Additionally, the landscape theme for the central character area is the desire to create both high quality urban spaces and streets that form pleasant tree-lined routes and contain the main neighbourhood centre activity. Planting in the neighbourhood-centre and adjacent streets and squares is mostly street trees and have been chosen from species that are of medium stature, give year round visual interest and provide a light, open canopy. There is an appropriate tree species along the ‘high-street’ route in order to make it identifiable and special; different tree species have been planted along the spine route.
The structure of the open spaces is provided by new tree planting, with ornamental shrubs and trees introduced to provide local interest and enhanced amenity. Woodland-mix planting complements the existing tree cover in the locality and provides nature conservation interest. The main spine route of the Marnel Park site is a tree-lined avenue. Trees have been planted within the verges where there is sufficient space and sight lines permit, to emphasise the special quality of the route and create a natural boundary between the road and adjoining dwellings.
