News / Trees
Work to begin soon on latest remodelling of Centre
Work is due to start before the end of January on the transformation of the Centre which will see the filling in of the fountains and the felling of five trees.
The area between the Cascade Steps and Neptune’s statue will have more space for events and is due to be covered with a large-scale 2D artwork by Oshii.
Five Judas trees will replace the London plane trees, which were planted in 2000 during the most recent remodelling of the Centre but which have outgrown their shallow planters.
is needed now More than ever
Bristol City Council officers say the trees cannot be replanted elsewhere as due to their size, they need to be felled in sections.
Rebuilding the planters around the trees has also been discounted as the roots are entwined within the cladding of the planters.
Five London plane trees planted in 2000 have outgrown their shallow planters – photo: Martin Booth
Andrew Brown, chair of the economy & Skills committee at City Hall, said that removing the London planes “is a last resort but it needs to be done as they should not have been planted in these shallow planters, which are unsuited to such large trees”.
The Lib Dem councillor said their replacements, which have pink sprays of blossom in the spring, “should be a lovely addition to the Centre”.
The felled trees will be processed into woodchip and used to fuel bio-mass boilers.
The fountains on the Centre have rarely worked in recent years and even when they did were likened to “a load of dead men peeing” – photo: Martin Booth
In February, platforms will be installed over the sets of steps on the Broad Quay side of the Centre.
The three sunken fountains will then be filled in and the wooden decking removed so the area can be covered with the same light coloured surface.
While the refurbishment continues until April, the Harbourside Street Food Market will continue to operate outside of the works site.
The near-invisible cycle lanes parallel to St Augustine’s Parade are not part of the work, and will remain open and no doubt continue to put confused pedestrians in regular conflict with cyclists.
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
