Welcome additions to a Greenwich street
Here’s a welcome improvement I’ve been meaning to cover for some time.
Trees have been planted along a section of Blackwall Lane in Greenwich on a site beside Christ Church Primary School. Greenery is now seen at the base. Certainly beats stained, grotty wooden bollards at dodgy angles or guardrail.
A number of nearby street changes have also lifted the area. I wrote a post last year looking at Trafalgar Road. It’s now a place I don’t mind walking along as street clutter is reduced allowing more pedestrian space. Couple that to welcome new public spaces and it’s better all round.
Clearly it’s still traffic chocked and pedestrian paths are still narrow but fixing that requires bold, bigger moves.
Well done to Greenwich Council and all involved. I know a few people did excellent work so do leave a comment highlighting those who should be celebrated.
I think this is a huge improvement for Blackwall Lane and along Trafalgar Road the pocket park looks great. Well done to Greenwich Council. Looking forward to more pocket parks and tree planting in the future around the Borough of Greenwich.
An innovative idea to brighten up our decaying public realm, would like this to be done on residential/housing estates across the Borough. Greenwich will need to maintain this accordingly.
The trees are a welcome addition until they grow to a size where they push up the payment slabs! Them Greenwich council won’t do anything to fix them for years and overspend once they do!
I’m not giving props to Greenwich Council as overall this is the very least they should have done!
Agreed. I think more improvements like the tree planting on Blackwall Lane and theTrafalgar Road Pocket Park go along way to improving the public realm around Greenwich Borough.
I hope to see more public realm improvements around the Borough where improvements are urgently needed. Many have been highlighted by Murky on this site including Thornham Street in Greenwich, Near Greenwich IKEA. Coldharbour Estate and Abbey Wood Estate.
HK you do make a valid point where trees are not regularly pruned back cauisng damange to double decker buses, roots that bring up payments and cover street lighting. Greenwich Council do need to provide much more frequent tree maintenace i totally agree. ,
However, as a chronic asthmatic I welcome anything that can help with traffic pollution.
Looks good. Love the zen garden. There’s trees set into many paved footpaths; that critique just smells of contrarianism. I suppose it’s better to not have trees at all because they’re ‘messy’ and ‘might drop leaves on someone’s car’ etc…
Not being contrarian at all, just stating an opinion based on other pavements that have trees.
Over time, the roots push up the pavement to the point it can become unsafe at worst, or very messy/untidy at best.
It’s frustrating when the council finally spend money on projects like this (which is needed), but often do not plan and think of the long term/maintenance, (often at poor value for the taxpayer) and let it get run down!
Indeed, that can happen with trees, but over many years; it’s not a good reason to negate their existence though is it. Also your assumption they would not be maintained is only that, an assumption; from what I’ve seen around Greenwich they generally are – for the reasons you give and others. A more salient issue regarding street trees is how often they are too easily removed, often for very arbitrary financial reasons based in property owner’s profit margins.
The new green additions are great. It looked horrible before all paved over, dusty and with a guard rail. The plane tree was boxed in. Old and dim street lighting from the 60s. Now it’s vastly improved. Great job!