Pimp your Pavement

Ever thought of planting up around your street tree.Well here's some inspiration from the new Pimp Your Pavement page on fbook.Of course we've been doing this for years....but here's some more ideas http://www.facebook.com/pimpyourpavement

You can of course start right now by planting Daffodil or Tulip bulbs!

Or how about thoughtfully placed pansies or violets?

Latest Plan for Main Site Revealed

Draft plans for delivery of green space improvements have been launched with extended linked pathways , improved access and tree planting on the agenda.

Dan's gnome gets a home | Home and Garden | Lifestyle | Daybreak - ITV.com

See Northwood Mums and kids,and the main man at Kirkby Allotments in Northwood on Daybreak

Dan's gnome gets a home | Home and Garden | Lifestyle | Daybreak - ITV.com

view here!

Community and Funders Celebrate Trees

Local residents group Northwood Mums with their kids joined local councillor Terry Garland and representative of Knowsley Housing Trust's Advantage funding, Kerry Kirkpatrick, in celebrating the planting of one of the 150 or so trees planted across Northwood.

Work Starts

Work on planting pavement and verge trees has started in Northwood Kirkby Merseyside this week.Contractors for Blakedown Landscapes broke ground and installed the first trees on Bigdale and Brook Hey Drives before moving onto Kennelwood Rd and Roughwood Drive.

It is hoped to have all the trees planted by mid February.

Green Streets Coordinator for The Mersey Forest Ben Greenaway said 'the first trees are now in and already the impact is quite substantial.The trees should have an impact of making the distances between places feel shorter especially when walking on foot or by bike; and which will give the area a greater sense of character as the seasons progress.'

North of England based landscape contractor, Blakedown Landscapes has been appointed to deliver the Green Streets project around Northwood,near Kirkby, Knowsley.The work involves the excavation of over 150 tree pits and the planting of extra heavy standard trees of about 3-4m in height.

The trees, planted in pavements,verges 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!

Blakedown Landscapes were delighted to have won this contract.Having worked with The Mersey Forest in a similar project in the Wirral the project's coordinator Ben Greenaway said 'we are confident that this project will be delivered with the efficiency we are used to with this scale of planting'.

Landscape Architects Appointed to oversee project

Architects Ombler Iwanowski have been appointed by The Mersey Forest on behalf of Knowsley 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 with contractor Blakedown Landscapes) said 'we have a wide range of experience of delivering this type of scheme in regeneration and community residential areas across the Mersey belt. I think this is a great scheme that offers an opportunity to bring a variety of colourful ornamental trees and where appropriate larger shade trees to this area.It will certainly brighten up the streets and give a more pleasant feel to journeys by foot and bicycle in Northwood.'

Funding Confirmed

Knowsley Borough Council today confirmed additional funding to extend planting across the target project area to plant an additional 40 trees. This now means that trees can extend across key walking and commuting route Bigdale Drive and link The Old Rough Park with other green space, residential property and schools.

Rob Allen of Knowsley Council's Neighbourhood Management team said "the additional funding comes from Knowsley's Environmental Blight Fund dedicated to Northwood".

Ben Greenaway Project Coordinator for The Mersey Forest said "it is hoped that additional tree cover will besides the obvious benefits of a beautiful tree lined street will benefit the community by bringing much needed shade on hotter days when older residents are getting from A to B or just waiting for a bus"

St Marks Grow Project

St Marks Community & Enterprise Centre have applied to The Community Spaces Fund for help with establishing a community garden and allotment project on their site at the church. Currently the land is just large amounts of grass which is hard work to maintain; and not well utilised by the community. The plan is to create a space which is much more user friendly.

It is intended that there will be wheel chair accessible pathways, seating areas, herb beds, trees and a water feature.

Overall, a much more usable and exciting space than is currently in existence at the church!

It is hoped to create an area of raised beds or ‘mini allotments’ which would be intended for various community groups from around Kirkby.

The Richmond Fellowship who work with amongst others, people with mental health problems, hope to use the garden as a form of horticulture therapy for their service users.

These beds will also be available to individuals who request a plot.

They’d be ideal for people who feel a full allotment is too big for them.Intended for use by all members of the community, be it for gardening or quiet contemplation away from the stresses of life.

If the funding bid is successful work will hopefully commence on the site in the new year.

Anyone who is interested in having a mini allotment or helping with the project in anyway should contact Christel on 546 9970 or email christel.stmarks@googlemail.com

John of local garden design specialists www.plantdesign.info said that his company were pleased to offer up their services to inspire the ideas for the project and help bring the project to life when funding became available.

Plan For Northwood Community Site Launched

£60K has become available from Marks and Spencer through Groundwork Merseyside and The Forestry Commisions Setting The Scene For Growth Programme to fund pathworks and fishing pegs around the Northwood pond site behind Shakelady Rd to the north of Northwood.

An entrance will be created at the end of Trecastle Rd off Roughwood Avenue and a 'hoggin' self binding gravel path will link the community to the pond.Soon you will be able to both fish and pond dip from a series of bespoke fishing pegs connected to the path by a board walk.

Plan are still in place to extend the scheme to link up with view points behind the pond and to the east of the site through an entrance on Simonwood through the secural of additional funding available through The Forestry Commission.
This round of works will be completed by March 2011.
Residents turned out to see the plans at a drop in consultation at Northwood Community Centre,November 1st evening.

the plan (click to enlarge)

A boardwalk....

A fishing peg....

A hoggin path.....

Bulb Planting Event All Welcome

Come along to the small greenspace near Northwood Community Centre that links Gilescroft Aveune and Roughwood Avenue near the Community Allotment to take part in a bulb planting event.
All tools and gloves will be provided and you can wash your hands afterwards at the community centre.
Staff will be on hand to assist parents and children old and young alike in undertaking what promises to be an exciting event that will promise to bring a bit of sparkle to this green space in time for spring.Bright yellow and white daffodils will soon be pushing up the turf this January if you can spare half an hour between 2 and 4 this Thursday 28th October.
See the images in the 'northwood green site...' post below to see what the space might look like.We are also looking to plant a few colourful trees in an upcoming event in January.

So watch this space.

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