Three-year project starts to enhance Melton's town parks

Andi Henton, head landscape gardener for Melton Mowbray Town Estate, is leading a team of five in work to clear overgrown areas, plant new trees and creating new wildlife habitat areas.

He explained: "We've got our sights set on consistent, noticeable improvements.

"We've begun with a major pruning and clearing programme, cutting back and removing invasive species and dead wood across the parks, as part of a phased restoration effort.

"Additionally, we're working on improving the riverbanks, restoring the pond, and creating better, richer habitats."

The team has been extremely busy clearing riverbanks and undergrowth, removing the remains of the Pavilion Cafe, which was demolished last year to make way for a new cafe building, and cultivating a wildflower habitat area nearby.

"It looks quite severe," Andi said.

"But years of just cutting back new growth has allowed fast-growing and invasive species like Budleias to take over.

"By removing these dominating species we're letting light back into the original planting and increasing the visibility into some secluded areas that have been a magnet for anti-social behaviour."

In March, the landscape team finished planting 545 saplings in Egerton Park in conjunction with The Woodland Trust.

This follows the felling of several mature trees for safety reasons earlier this year, creating a mountain of wood and bark chippings that have been used for mulching and weed suppression elsewhere.

Andi added: "We've planted over 500 mixed saplings in Egerton Park, including oak, sweet chestnut, wild cherry, alder and many more species, laying the foundations for the park's future over the next century.

"They will be thinned out over the years ahead to develop into a handsome stand of native broadleaf trees."

The Town Estate has responsibility for the parks and is keen to enhance them for the benefit of residents and visitors.

Graham Bett, chair of Melton Mowbray Town Estate, commended: "Andi and his team have worked incredibly hard this year, cleaning up after the floods, planting trees and restoring habitats across all the Town Estate's open spaces.

"Under Andi's direction and with the new trees and improvements all around, Melton's parks have a bright future ahead."