The Arbor closure
The Arbor is currently closed today (26 April) but will be open as normal on Monday 29 April. We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Gloucester Urban Greening Project
Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund
Gloucester City Council has a statutory duty to protect and enhance biodiversity. To help us, and a number of partners, do this we have secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The funding will be spent on interventions and management regimes that will help protect and restore biodiversity and to promote wider benefits of a healthy ecosystem.
The project's benefits include more diverse natural habitats, improved connectivity between green open spaces that boost people's wellbeing and wildlife.
The project will be carried out over the next couple of years targeting approximately 62 hectares of urban green spaces throughout the city and neighbouring councils. It will be done in stages, with overall completion scheduled for Spring 2023.
The total spend for the project is just over £1.6 million which is part funded by the ERDF and our partners including:
- Gloucester City Council
- University of Gloucestershire
- Tewkesbury Borough Council
- Cheltenham Borough Council
- Environment Agency
The project has been broken down into 13 areas:
- 01: Plock Court and Wotton Brook – University of Gloucestershire
- 02: Bishops Cleeve – Tewkesbury Borough Council
- 03: Abbeydale and Barnwood - Sudbrook and River Twyver
- 04: Hucclecote and Barnwood - Wotton Park
- 05: Grange - Holmleigh Park
- 06: Longlevens and Elmbridge - Horsbere
- 07: Pitville Park - Cheltenham Borough Council
- 08: Matson and Robinswood - Matson Park, Baneberry Road and Haycroft Drive
- 09: Sutainable Bedding - Cheltenham Borough Council
- 10: Honeybourne Line – Cheltenham Borough Council
- 11: Podsmead, Grange and Kingsway - Daniels Brook and Milton Avenue
- 12: Elmbridge and Wotton, Hucclecote and Matson and Robinswood - Various open green spaces
- 13: Benhall Meadow Creation – Cheltenham Borough Council
The project will aim to deliver benefits through a combination of methods including:
- changes to grass cutting regimes
- wildflower meadow creation
- planting of native species including trees and hedgerows
- river restoration and re-naturalisation
- creation of water features for habitat generation and flood risk benefits
- sustainable planting
Specific details for each project area are provided in the links for the sites above.
The project will bring about benefits including:
- habitat creation
- increased biodiversity
- reduced flood risk
- improvements to water quality
- increasing target species
- engaging communities with the outdoors including ongoing monitoring of sites/citizen science projects
- improving urban air quality
- an improved, interconnected network of habitats
- enhancing sites as valuable public green space with broader biodiversity
- increasing amenity value of sites and ultimately well-being
It may take a few seasons before newly planted trees, hedges and plants become fully established. Their ability to thrive will depend on the success of seeds germinating and how the plants settle in their surroundings, which may be affected by the unpredictable British weather. The land may look fairly bare in patches after the main work has finished, but it will balance out once the habitats establish themselves.
This is an exciting opportunity to create enhanced and inclusive public open spaces which will be an important local resource, improving the quality of life for both people and wildlife.
Your patience, help and support with the project is very much appreciated.
If you’d like to give us feedback about this or any of our other schemes you can send your comments using our feedback form.
Our partners
