Page 37 - link magazine

The Link Magazine • September 2004 37
New Hreod Parkway will destroy wildlife habitat
GARDEN J
The August Link carried a three page feature on the development of new schools to serve North Swindon.
In reaction John Ball from Grange Park, who voluntarily set up and runs wildFlowers-And-Butterflies(FAB) DOCTORS
at The Haven in Cheney Manor, which is dedicated to developing butterfly friendly habitats in Swindon, says
that rebuilding Hreod Parkway School will consume another important area of green space. LANDSCAPING
LANDSCAPING & GARDEN MAINTENANCE
There are still a few meadows in forever. It's an obvious solution and associated insect life.
Wiltshire where, in mid-summer, for Swindon. Wouldn't you too ?
you disturb clouds of butterflies As founder of the FAB • To find out how you can turn
as you walk along. Swindon still (wildFlowersAndButterflies)con- your garden or any area around
has some of these increasingly cept, with the aim of turning Swin- your home into a butterfly friendly
rare areas, in amongst the hous- don into the butterfly capital of habitat, meet John at The Haven
ing estates and factories. In a good Europe, I would dearly love to (found to the rear of Manor Gar-
butterfly year, they provide an know which spaces will stay green den Centre in Cheney Manor) on
awe-inspiring experience. for posterity, so that I can make Sunday 12 September,10.30am, or • Trained team • Fully insured
Several fields off Akers Way those abundant with wildflowers mail: [email protected] For free quotation
have been classified 'County Wild- Tel: (01793) 526571
Not just a field of grass. John Ball at the wildflower meadow off Akers Way
life Sites,' but Swindon Council is where building work on the new Hreod Parkway will start this Autumn Mobile: 07760 127139
about to build a school on half of
one of them. What hope is there for
an important wildlife area and
amenity experience for people,
when pitted against the forces of A
development?
The adjacent old school site is
going to be redeveloped for hous-
ing. Part of it could be a car park LAICN & HEDGE CUTTING
for the new school, rather than PATIO & TURF LAYING
destroy more meadow land.
GENERAL GARDEN TIDY
Being born and bred in Swin-
don, I have seen our greatest asset, FENCE ERECTION.
the enormous areas of wildlife- STAINING & MAINTENANCE
filled green space, being frittered Give your garden a makeover
away, bit by bit, as the money value
Tel: 01793 873630
of building tempts councillors and i,...
developers to replace it with more Mobile 0781 8430556
bricks and concrete. -mail: [email protected]
The short-term financial gain www.garden-groomers.com
seems larger (at the time) than the Forest school
gradual loss of what makes Swin-
don so attractive and prosperous, is keen to learn LAWNHOPPERS IAN CURTIS
the green lungs. Even with the loss of a wildlife grasscutting LANDSCAPING
All new towns have this prob- meadow, Hreod Parkway will still
lem, but if you look at Milton be developing its interest in the A grasscutting
Keynes, they did something about environment, one of the first two service for
it. They put all their parks and in Swindon to be designated as a (^^ ' both large and
amenity land into a trust that looks 'Forest School' by the Great West-
after it, for the people of the city ern Community Forest. small gardens
are forbidden to sell it. Patios • Block Paving
This permanence ensures pub- Weekly. fortnightly or monthly visits Fencing • Decking
lic trust and support and avoids All machinery supplied to keep
politicians and people fighting your garden neat and tidy and all other aspects of
over green spaces that footballers All rubbish removed landscape work
or developers want to build on. Full garden maintenance
Their green spaces will stay green Tel: 01793 854255
service available
Mob: 07949 341724
Relieve aches,
pains and
discomfort Garden Design and Maintenance
with a magnet
Why not get some help from a plant specialist and RHS Chelsea
medal winning designer
Forest people, Sam Read and • Professional designs drawn to suit your needs/budget
Rebecca Starsineare • Imaginative planting plans for whole/part of your garden
The April Link featured the ef- • Plant supply and planting
forts of Year 7 pupils who have • Garden maintenance - lawn care, shrub pruning, hedge
been tidying up and maintaining a cutting, border renovation
copse in front of the existing school
as part of their weekly enrichment Call John or Anita Barratt ND Hort A / Hort
activities. They also created differ-
on Swindon (01793) 751403 for further information
ent habitats to encourage birds,
bees, bugs and small mammals and
have been studying the effect of Anita Barratt Garden Design
their work.