Planting of 20,000 shrubs to transform Swindon town centre

The redevelopment of Fleming Way will see the installation of 150 semi-mature trees and 20,000 shrubs.

Set to open in late summer, the new space will transform the former carriageway and unwelcoming underpass into a new gateway through the town centre.

RSK Group company Crowders Nurseries, working with Ainsty Timber Marketing on behalf of Swindon Borough Council, is sourcing the trees, shrubs and perennial plants that will transform Fleming Way. 

The vision for the regeneration works is to create a new main gateway for the town centre, offering a vibrant future for Swindon. To achieve this, Crowders has specifically sourced planting, designed by landscape designers Hyland Edgar Driver (HED), that will provide long-term benefits, including reducing the town’s carbon emissions, offering year-round interest to the public and encouraging wildlife to thrive.

Overseeing the project from Crowders is Danny Green, who said: “To support the vision for the Fleming Way redevelopment, 150 trees, 20,000 shrubs and perennial plants and 100 metres of instant hedging have been sourced, ready for planting over the winter. 

"These include various multi-stemmed specimen trees, including Tibetan cherry trees (Prunus serrula ‘Tibetica’) and Himalayan birch trees (Betula utilis ‘Jacquemontii’), offering visual impact to the whole scheme while providing new habitats for local wildlife.

“The plants were all selected based on their ability to absorb carbon, which contributes to cleaner air in Swindon town centre. Shrubs including Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’, a vibrant orange branched shrub, was chosen for its ability to capture carbon while surviving in dry environmental conditions. 

"Autumn berries including the crab apple (Malus‘Evereste’) and bird cherry (Prunus padus) have also been selected.”

Planting large urban areas comes with its challenges, as Danny explained. 

“Part of the plans include an Ulmus ‘New Horizon’ elm tree as a feature tree in the Northern Parade between Newbridge Square and Unity Place. This particular variety of tree is resistant to diseases such as Dutch elm disease, which can have a devastating impact on elm populations. 

"These trees are grown by only a small number of licensed nurseries in the UK and Europe, and sourcing one at 9 metres tall, which had to be crane-lifted into its bed, has been a challenge. Once settled, the tree will be a strong focal point and feature in the new space.

“Medium-sized trees bring the scale of the planting down to provide a light and more human aspect with the surrounding plazas. 

"For the central space, sustainable drainage solution (SuDS) areas and Betul (birch), Alnus (alder) and Salix (willow) trees were chosen to create a light canopy that ends near pedestrian crossings where a series of large and medium-sized trees (Prunus (ornamental cherry), Sorbus (mountain ash) and Tilia (linden)) were chosen to provide interest to pollinators and to increase ecological value. 

"Overall, the mix of species used on Fleming Way is showcasing how far we have come from a traditional ‘avenue’: it has given way to a more biodiverse, climate-resilient approach that mimics that of many natural ecosystems.”

Swindon Borough Council Project Manager Liam Hill-Davis said: “As we move into the final stages of delivering this challenging project, the full scale of the betterment to the public realm is really beginning to be seen. 

"What was once a rather bleak and uninviting space is being transformed with the introduction of semi-mature trees and large areas of planting; new benches, cycle infrastructure and bus shelters will make Fleming Way a much improved area to use for residents and visitors to the town. 

"The opening in the summer will be great, just as the plant life is at its best.”