Volunteers from the community group Friends of Downhorn Park have recently completed the planting of over 500 trees in the field adjacent to the Community Centre at the top of the Broadway Car Park.
Read More About Friends of Downhorn Park Here
Working with staff from Plymouth City Council, the planting forms part of the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest project.
RELATED PLYMOUTH NEWS
Chair of the Friends group, Dr Colin Munn commented:
“This is a big step forward in our mission to protect and enhance this lovely green space in the heart of Plymstock.
“Urban trees have huge benefits for the environment and biodiversity, as well as boosting our physical and mental health.”
The trees will be managed to establish a woodland canopy, which will mature in the coming years to enhance walks in the park and provide shady spots to relax, picnic, and play.
RELATED PLYMOUTH NEWS
Radford Ward Councillor Bill Wakeham commented:
“This is a wonderful creation and will greatly assist in meeting our city’s environmental targets.
“It really is a park of the future and will transform a very ordinary piece of grassland into a pleasurable and welcoming area.”
From the Friends of Downhorn Park website:
The two fields were designated as public open space in 1967, when several specimen trees were planted. These have now matured, although there have been some recent losses due to disease and storm damage. The community orchard (originally 30 apple trees, but sadly now down to 11 due to damage) was planted in the upper field in 1997 by the children of Downham School.
The school occupied the site in Horn Lane adjacent to the field from 1963-2012 when it was sold for development of the Sackville Close estate. Unfortunately, direct access to the field from Horn Lane was lost, when PCC allowed this footpath to be acquired by the estate developer, and access is now through a gate from Sackville Close.
