AS PART of its response to the environmental crisis, Alresford Town Council decided to improve the way it manages its public spaces to encourage more wildlife.

The council took its first steps in its response and reinstated a hedgerow at Arlebury Park.

The 100m stretch, thought to have originally marked a field boundary, has been planted to provide a protective corridor for wildlife to travel across the open grass of the park. It will also become habitat to encourage a range of birds and other wildlife and, of course, to capture carbon.

Cllr Andy Sprott, chair of the recreation and environment committee, said: “We wanted to involve the community and particularly the town’s teenagers in the planting. Hopefully this will give them a sense of ownership of the park. Our plan was to have pupils from Perins School plant the first section on the Friday afternoon and volunteers from the community the next day. The youngsters were so enthusiastic, we had to slow them down to leave something for the volunteers to do on Saturday!”

The hedgerow is a mix of Hawthorn, Spindle, Field Maple, Wayfarer, Hornbeam, Guelder Rose and Crab Apple, so will provide a range of flowers, berries, fruit and colour throughout the year.

Cllr Sprott added: “We laid an area of wildflower turf in an unloved corner of the park at the end of last summer. That has probably gone unnoticed so far, as it hasn’t flowered yet, but I’m really looking forward to seeing it alive with insects and colour in the spring. The next phase of the improvements are already underway with tree planting around the park. There’s Walnut, Scarlet Maple and the disease resistant New Horizon Elm. I was told that the existing trees are a legacy of a community planting project in the 1970s and 80s. We have added ten more to the work of the previous volunteers, but I am keen that there will be plenty more to follow next year.”

When the grass cutting contract came up for renewal recently, the Town Council took the opportunity to ‘soften up’ the fringes of the park. So they will allow longer grass and, in time, wildflowers to take over some of the margins, whilst the majority will continue to be cut regularly.

“We’ve got a very enthusiastic committee, so we have lots of projects on the go at the moment. When the ground dries out we will finally be able to put the finishing touches to the skate park improvements. These will make it safer and more open and inviting for the skaters.”

“We are in the consultation phase of a total rebuild of the rather tired play area at Stratton Bates park. We visited the Sun Hill schools recently, where the children made models showing us their dream park. It was so much fun and the children came up with some great ideas for us to work from.”

The Council has also held consultation sessions with pupils from Perins and residents living around the park ahead of further events planned for the wider community. Dates to be announced soon.

Residents will be able to hear more about the work at the Annual Town Assembly at the recreation centre at Arlebury Park on March 17 at 7.30pm.