Ottershaw landscaping proposal

Background

As part of the design and development of the new Ottershaw roundabout we want local people to have a say on the soft landscaping of the village. We gave suggestions in the planning application as outlined below, and we would now like your feedback on the planting proposals before we finalise our plans.

You can view drawings and related information on the Ottershaw roundabout page.

Engagement process 

• The commonplace questionnaire is phase one of a two phase engagement process with residents regarding landscaping. The initial feedback received via commonplace will help us form a landscaping plan which we can then present in virtual meetings with residents (second phase). 
• It is important for us that you share your views on commonplace in this first instance as this is crucial to shaping the jointly agreed plan we will present at a later date. The virtual meetings will provide an opportunity for residents to speak to the project team and ask any questions about the landscaping plan as presented.
• The virtual meeting will be held once feedback has been analysed by the project team and a more detailed plan created to present to local people.  
• This questionnaire will close on 23 February 2024.

Landscaping proposals

In the planning application we suggested a mixture of native and ornamental planting to support biodiversity and fit with the current village aesthetic. Native plants are plants that arrived naturally in Britain and Ireland since the last Ice Age, i.e. without the assistance of humans. Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are mainly grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as their fragrance or shape.

 A list of native trees can be found on the UK Native Trees page on the Woodland Trust website.

We will use semi-mature trees (4 to 5 metres in height) where we need to replace those which have been removed. New woodland and hedgerow planting could use smaller plants (60cm high) or possibly larger plants (up to 1.8 metres high) depending on species and location. Both sizes would take some time to properly establish, but larger plants would provide a greater initial impact.

This work will be completed in the first planting season after the highways work is finished. A specialist contractor will undertake the work and manage all planting for 10 years. Maintenance will include annual mulching, and watering through the summer months with watering bags for all new trees. If any planting fails, is damaged or removed in the first five years, we intend that it will be replaced like for like in the first available subsequent planting season.

Flowering cherry trees

The planning application suggested a group of flowering cherry trees (Prunus accolade, pictured) could be planted in the south west corner of the new roundabout, adjacent to the A320 Guildford Road and the replacement approach from Foxhills Road and Chobham Road.

Murray Road car park

We need to replace the hedgerow with native species around the Murray Road car park. This would need to complement the existing hedgerow on the north side of Murray Road – which is predominately hawthorn. However, other species of plant could be introduced, including yew, laurel or honeysuckle. All options are pictured below.

Clockwise from top left: hawthorn, honeysuckle, yew and laurel.

We would also be interested to know how high the hedgerow should be. A higher hedgerow will give the car park more visual screening, but will result in the car park feeling more enclosed.

Next steps

The questionnaire will close on 23 February 2024. Once we’ve reviewed the responses and come up with a plan, we will feedback on this website. Please register for news alerts to be kept up to date.