Ahead of construction work for Thames Tideway Tunnel
Thames Water is planting a new generation of trees in two Wandsworth parks.
In partnership with the Wandsworth Council, work to plant new trees will start on Monday November 11th in King George’s Park and York Gardens and will take six weeks to complete.
Thames Water is supporting the project ahead of the proposed construction work in King George’s Park and Falconbrook pumping station for the Thames Tideway Tunnel, which is expected to start in 2016.
As well as providing environmental benefits, new trees will help form a natural barrier around the work to reduce its impact on local residents.
Suzanne Burgoyne, environment manager for the Thames Tideway Tunnel, said: “Protecting the environment is at the heart of the Thames Tideway Tunnel project and we are committed to improving where possible the areas where construction will be taking place.
“We’re pleased that these trees will be there for the people of Wandsworth to enjoy long after we have completed our construction work.”
Jerry Birtles, Wandsworth's Chief Parks Officer, said: “We’re very keen to renew the avenue in King George’s Park so that future generations can enjoy it as we have done. The existing avenue is now quite old and it will be sad to see some of the older trees removed, but where they are decaying or coming to the end of their natural lifespan, it’s in the best interest of the park to remove them and plant new trees that can be there for many years to come.
“At York Gardens, the new trees will be a welcome addition to the 250 trees we already have there.”
Some older trees will need to be removed to make sure all the new trees fit in.
The Thames Tideway Tunnel is a project to build a 25 kilometre sewer under the River Thames. This will help prevent the tens of millions of tonnes of untreated sewage which discharges into the tidal river every year. For more information on the Thames Tideway Tunnel, visit www.thamestidewaytunnel.co.uk
October 30, 2013