Tree maintenance and road closures over Christmas
Wednesday, 18 December 2019
Tree maintenance work is planned to take place on Whiteknights campus during the Christmas closure period.
The work will be carried out at Blandford Lodge and Windsor Hall between 24 and 31 December and will involve some road closures from 21 December (see below).
Details are expected to be as follows:
Blandford Lodge
A large tree (Wellingtonia Sequoiadendron giganteum) will be removed between Blandford Lodge and the nearby internal road. The tree has been in decline for several years and has been closely monitored by our Grounds Maintenance team. After much consideration, it has been decided to remove the tree and surrounding plants.
After removal is complete, the area will be landscaped, and three new trees will be planted as replacements.
You will still be able to find several examples of the Wellingtonias tree on Whiteknights campus - there are five trees of a similar age and size to the one being removed, as well as a number of juvenile trees.
Windsor Hall
Work will be performed on a tree next to Park Lounge to make it more manageable.
The tree (London Plane Plantanus x hispanica) has significant hollowing within its trunk and has a fungal growth within its crown. Instead of removing the tree its height will be reduced - hopefully meaning that it will be easier to manage at a reduced size, extending its life for several years.
Road closures
The works will involve some road closures:
- from Archway Lodge to the Miller car park, 21-31 December
- no road access to Windsor Hall/Park Lounge, 27-30 December (car access will be via Foxhill Lodge Gate off of Whiteknights Road - diversion signs will be in place along Queens Drive)
- from the top of Car Park 2 to Park Bar, 27-31 December
- Blandford Lodge Car Park will close from 20 December - please do not park there over the holiday period.
During this period, an additional set of work will see repairs made to a fire hydrant cover in the road between Archway Lodge and Chancellors Way, which will include the closure of Queen's Drive.
As a result, the bus stops outside Whiteknights House and on Chancellor's Lane will be closed between 21 and 31 December. The route will be diverted via Shinfield Road and Pepper Lane accordingly - the nearest bus stops will be on Shinfield Road by the SportsPark and just by the Pepper Lane entrance.