We are carrying out essential health and safety tree work to the south of Lily Hill Park. This follows earlier work we completed along the northern boundary.
- this work is taking place near the sports pitches and along the southern park boundary - see map below
- it will take 10 days to complete, starting on Monday 20 October and ending on Friday 31 October
- we are also due to carry out work on a hornbeam tree later, with the date to be confirmed
- please take care when visiting, most of the park and its normal visitor routes are still open for use
- for safety reasons, there will be traffic management (two-way signals) along London Road from 27 to 31 October, between 9.30am and 3.30pm
Apologies for any inconvenience this work causes. Find out more below.
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Lily Hill Park tree work map
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Work timings and locations
We have completed essential health and safety tree work within the northern boundary, along Lily Hill Road and Lily Hill Drive.
We are continuing this work to the south of the park. Our contractors have been working on trees bordering Bracknell Rugby pitch. This started on Monday 20 October and is taking them 5 days to complete.
The next planned work is set out below.
Location: trees inside the southern park boundary
Start date: Monday 27 October
Expected duration: 5 day
We are also planning a necessary crown reduction of a hornbeam tree near the Lodge. This will likely take a day to complete We will announce this date nearer the time.
What we are doing
A comprehensive survey conducted by an independent, qualified arboriculturist (tree exert) identified work required to several trees.
Signs of deterioration from old age in trees might not always be obvious to us. This is why a survey of this nature is necessary. Experienced and qualified tree experts can use specialist equipment to better assess a tree's condition.
In the case of select trees at Lily Hill Park, the expert opinion is that the work must be done. This is so the trees don’t cause a future maintenance and safety concern.
Species we are working on include:
- Beech
- Cedar
- Chestnut (conker tree)
- English Oak
- Holly
- Hornbeam
- Lime
- Willow
We are using experienced contractors to conduct the following work:
- crown reduction - to address uneven growth, reduce weight, and improve the tree's overall structure
- lifting and pruning to establish clearance over the highway
- removing deadwood – to improve safety
- removing trees (see below)
Where possible, we try and retain trees through the work described above.
In certain cases, and as a last resort, we will need to remove trees that are unsafe if they are left in their current condition. This is where they are dead, diseased and/or structurally unstable.
We must complete this work to maintain public safety, in what is a very busy area of town near a main road, a popular park and nearby properties.
We are taking specialist advice to make sure the tree work is done correctly and sensitively. These trees are not protected by tree preservation orders.
Minimising disruption
We are working to minimise impact to park visitors and road users.
Visitor access within the park should largely remain unaffected. This is because the work is away from paths and key access routes.
There will need to be a lane closure and traffic management along London Road (A329) on the second week of work. This is necessary to protect road users. Find out more on One Network.
There may be some noise and dust generated by the heavy machinery. We are keeping this to a minimum where possible. We are also sharing this information with park users and residents who live nearby.
Please stay away from work areas and follow advice in site safety signs.
Protecting wildlife
We are taking all necessary precautions to protect wildlife during the work.
Where possible, we are undertaking the work outside of bird nesting season.
We have commissioned a bat survey. Our contractors will also check for bat roosts.
In some cases, we may be able to safely retain some standing deadwood 'monoliths' at a safe height and create log piles. These will provide wildlife habitats for wildlife, such as species of beetles and other invertebrates.
Tree planting
Lily Hill Park has a rich tree heritage, which dates back hundreds of years.
Over the years, we have worked to preserve Lily Hill Park’s tree stock, including looking after veteran and specimen trees. This is through a careful programme of tree monitoring, maintenance and new planting.
The last round of major tree work we conducted was in 2001, as part of the heritage restoration of the park. This current work is an accumulation of tree work over a 25-year period.
We will follow up the tree work with a comprehensive programme of tree planting. Whilst this won’t immediately help to offset the loss of these trees, it will secure a future generation of parkland trees for people and wildlife to enjoy.