A COMMUNITY garden will be planted in Woodley in the hopes of smartening up the town centre.
It will be created around the trees outside Waitrose, near the Crockhamwell Road car park, by removing the current paving slabs.
It is a joint project between Woodley town council, the town centre management initiative and Wokingham borough council, and aims to solve the problem of potential trip hazards around the four trees due to their roots dislodging paving around them.
The raised community garden — which will go around the trees — removes the restrictions on the tree roots and will provide an area for the community to enjoy.
And a brick retaining wall will be used following feedback from residents to the town council.
New seating will also be installed in the area for visitors to the town centre, as well as a notice board in the same style as those in Woodford Park.
Pedestrians will still be able to walk on either side of this new garden to get to the shops.
Work will begin on Monday, May 18 and take around three weeks, with works being carried out by a contractor on behalf of the borough council.
Access to all shops which are open will be maintained.
The plants haven’t been chosen yet, and current thoughts are for a school community garden, a variety of grasses or moss to absorb carbon. But whatever is chosen will be easy to maintain.
Cllr Keith Baker, leader of Woodley town council, said: “This long standing issue of trip hazards has now been addressed by a highly innovative solution.
“For Woodley residents it not only makes this area safer but it also provides a visually attractive scene including new seating areas for them to sit down and rest, meet friends or simply to eat their lunch.
“This is the third piece of the regeneration of the public space in the precinct and will enhance the area considerably.”
And Brian Fennelly, Woodley town centre manager, said: “Woodley town centre management have been concerned for some time about the uneven surface around the trees in the town centre and while we don’t want to see the trees removed, the proposed plans for the garden are a good solution to the current trip hazards.
“We are also keen to get active involvement from the local community with planting and maintenance of the garden.”
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport at WBC, added: “We are working to help kickstart our local economy during Wokingham borough’s response to the pandemic and investing in town centres and high streets like Woodley’s is one of the ways to do this.
“This will also solve a historic problem with tree roots in that area of the precinct as well as creating an area for the community to enjoy for many years to come.”
