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Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Jane Ives (14th Mar 2016 - 12:55:55) As you will all know our beloved Chestnut tree in The Square had to be felled last October. Greene King have been working on a replacement tree and they have now come up with a short list of 4 and have asked the parish council to co-ordinate a vote so that local people can have their say. The choice of trees is shown on the attached PDF with some information about each one. The options are: Sweet Chestnut ‘Castanea Sativa’ Native Hornbeam ‘Carpinus betulus’ Tulip Tree ‘Liriodendron tulipifera’ Caucasian Lime / Small Leaved Lime Voting can be done in various ways as follows: Drop into Parish Office 10am-1pm (at the Haskell Centre in the Midhurst Rd carpark Drop into Millennium Centre 9am-4pm (opposite Sainsbury's) By email, to council@bramshottandliphook-pc.gov.uk By telephone to the Parish Office 01428 722988 By dropping your details and choice of tree through the parish council letterbox Most importantly, the vote closes on 31st March at 5pm so please make sure you have your say before then! New tree for Liphook Square PDF

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Bush (15th Mar 2016 - 05:31:21) Will the new tree go exactly where the old one was? What will the new setting look like?

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Jane Ives (15th Mar 2016 - 08:53:22) My understanding when speaking to Greene King is that the stone raised bed will be removed (this is likely what killed the old tree) and the new tree will be in roughly the same location. The wood from the old chestnut tree has been stored and, if the wood is of sufficient quality (and don't forget it was pretty rotten in places), then some sort of round bench will be created around the new tree. Please get voting as we don't have very long! Jane

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - liz (15th Mar 2016 - 08:58:04) A good selection of trees in my view - we will all have to think carefully! I think Bush has raised a good point though and hopefully we will get an answer before we decide.

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Jeanette Kirby (15th Mar 2016 - 09:19:45) This is really good news and I hope that as many people vote as those who raised concerns when the old tree had to be felled. Can I suggest that people have a look on the Woodland Trust website where you can search under either the common or the latin name. There are good photographs of what the mature tree would look like and also how long a tree is likely to live for. Amazing to think that in a few hundred years there may be people campaigning to save the next tree! I personally like the suggestion of the sweet chestnut which has a beautiful twisted bark when fully mature, and it can live for up to 700 years. The hornbeam is a native tree and often overlooked when considering specimen planting. That can live up to 300 years. Each of the suggested trees has their own qualities so please check them out and get voting asap.

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - liz (15th Mar 2016 - 09:49:42) Thanks, Jane. Very helpful.

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - liz (15th Mar 2016 - 11:35:15) You can click through to the Woodland Trust by clicking on each tree name in the original post.

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Jane Ives (15th Mar 2016 - 21:37:25) Votes have started to come in. Do please vote as it would be lovely to get the opinion of as many people as possible. Jane

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - liz (16th Mar 2016 - 14:55:56) Perhaps the Editor could include this under 'Local News Headlines'?

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - James (16th Mar 2016 - 17:44:23) The Small-leaved Lime is a fine tree and I am tempted to vote for it but does anyone know if it is the kind that drips sticky sap? If so, it may make a mess of the pavement as well as damaging car paintwork.

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - liz (17th Mar 2016 - 11:22:56) According to this website it does drip and is unsuitable for street planting: Small Leaved Lime, Littleleaf linden "The leaves are very attractive to leaf aphis and these aphis produce an abundance of sweet secretions which drip off the leaves to the ground below and also attract sooty mould fungus. This makes the tree unsuitable for street planting."

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Jane Ives (18th Mar 2016 - 18:30:00) Really good to see so many people have voted already so I'm bumping this up for the weekend. You won't be able to vote in person over the weekend but please email the parish office over the weekend (details at the top of this thread) and your votes will be added on Monday. Many thanks Jane

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - David McCoy (23rd Mar 2016 - 19:00:56) I am confused as I thought the old tree was a Horse Chestnut, is there a reason why we can't have the same ?

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Paul Robinson (23rd Mar 2016 - 20:33:41) I think that short list was arrived at from a choice of species that had proved themselves to be virus resistant. The last tree may have succumbed to a virus or it may have suffered as a result of the high stone wall at its base which may have rotted the bark below the soil. Paul Robinson

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - liz (24th Mar 2016 - 08:46:30) A reminder that the deadline is Thursday 31st March, only a week to go.....

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Terry Burns (24th Mar 2016 - 11:09:06) I have just returned from holiday and am very pleased that things are progressing with regard to the replacement of the tree. However, I do have concerns about the four options given: Sweet chestnut - the very spiky outing casings of the hard nut could be dangerous to passers by and vehicles when they fall in the autumn and especially as this is an area where children pass on route to school and the proximity to the pedestrian crossing. Lime - as said before there is a very sticky residue produced by the aphids and flowers which would fall on vehicles, walkways and the exterior seating at The Royal Anchor. Tulip tree - inclined to be of a sprawling nature and only attractive for a limited period. Would be great on the Millennium Green arboretum. Hornbeam - our lovely hornbeam outside of Shipley Court succumbed to honey fungus. Also aphids are known to distort the leaves of these trees by producing a sticky substance. On behalf of Liphook in Bloom, a representative of Glendale Civic Trees, a national company, came from their head office to inspect the site. Their recommendation was Aesculus Indica (Indian horse chestnut). It would appear the same as the previous tree with regard to the leaves and flowers but with very few, if any, conkers of pea size and the variety not being susceptible to the same pests as other varieties of horse chestnut. The Parish Council are aware of the option of the Indian horse chestnut, as are Green King, and I strongly feel this should be a fifth option. Glendale trees are the company which helped with the erection and supply of container for the village Christmas tree.

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - liz (24th Mar 2016 - 12:30:05) This does look a stunning alternative and it would be interesting to know why it isn't on the list. However I would say that to describe the spiky outside of the Sweet Chestnut fruits as dangerous is going a bit far.... a bit prickly maybe!

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Natalie (24th Mar 2016 - 21:26:14) Hi I couldn't agree more with Terry!!! I would like to see the tree replaced with his suggestion unless there is a valid reason this can't happen?

Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Chris (25th Mar 2016 - 07:37:11) Yes to Terry!!!!

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Terry Smithers (25th Mar 2016 - 10:24:38) I agree wholeheartedly with Terry Burns. The replacement tree really should be of the same genus as the original, why on earth change it? There was once a row of horse chestnuts fronting the Anchor, all but one being felled, it's not known when exactly, but probably near the end of the 18th century or early 19th century when the stage coach era began. The demise of the last tree in that row surely warrants replacement with one of it's own kind!

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Hal (25th Mar 2016 - 20:24:41) I'm not an expert in trees, but people are saying the stone collar damaged the tree. I can see that if you put a stone collar around an existing tree it will hold moisture against the tree base and cause the bark to rot and thus harm the tree, but surely if you plant a new tree in the stone collar it will have no effect on it as its above the soil level? Of course removing the stone collar would help in the future when they widen the road in the square!

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Jane Ives (25th Mar 2016 - 20:46:32) It's great that there is so much interest in the tree and I would urge everyone to keep voting. Don't forget there is a chestnut tree on the list although a different variety than the one that Terry is suggesting. Greene King own the land and they have consulted with specialists who came up with the short list. That's the only list that can be voted on and many, many people have already expressed their preference. Voting closes at 5pm next Friday 1st April so keep them coming until then. Details of how to vote are at the top of this thread with links to the various trees.

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Terry Smithers (25th Mar 2016 - 22:25:40) Aside from their current business in The Royal Anchor, Greene King has no other link whatsoever with Liphook, they should be taking into consideration the historic nature of the Square and of the original tree as a very long standing feature in it, at the very least, a horse chestnut should have included in the list, The Anchor and it's chestnut tree are one! If the stone wall around the tree was at all responsible for it's death, which I very much doubt, then it took more than one hundred years to do so! The wall began to appear in photo's at around 1902, by 1920 it was the same height as it is today.

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Jane (25th Mar 2016 - 22:53:47) Hi I also agree with Terry Burns that Greene King should replace the Horse Chestnut with another Horse Chesnut. Three of the trees on the list are susceptible to fungal disease if the Woodland trust page is to believed leaving only the Tulip tree disease free, however if there is a Horse Chesnut albeit a different variety why was that not on the list? The Square without the Chestnut tree looks dismal, replace it with something else if you want and you will because 'people' are voting but it won't give the feeling of tradition - the handing down of stories and customs, Liphooks heritage of the Blacksmith under the spreading Chestnut tree will be gone only to be read about at the Heritage Centre. A Chestnut tree outside the Anchor is part of Liphooks heritage, is it too much to ask that this should be retained?

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Chris (25th Mar 2016 - 23:43:33) 'Greene King own the land and they have consulted with specialists who came up with the short list. That's the only list that can be voted on' ...well they should have consulted with Terry Burns and Liphook in Bloom, people who actually care about Liphook

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Jane Ives (26th Mar 2016 - 08:09:07) Chris, I think the people who are voting care very much about Liphook, that's why they have taken the time to contribute.

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - helen (26th Mar 2016 - 11:44:47) The Anchor pub was an important historic now grade 11 listed coaching Inn, partly the reason why Liphook became a seperate settlement to Bramshott. Greene King now own the Anchor, and the land; of course they should have a say. If you owned a historic house you would want a say over things you owned? Liphook in Bloom are a voluntary group who do a lot for Liphook, but they are not the only ones who care about Liphook! but we all do care surely, whether or not we are in Liphook in bloom?

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Ian (26th Mar 2016 - 18:09:22) Once again Talkback highlights how some people have an over inflated sense of self importance about their own opinions

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - liz (27th Mar 2016 - 13:48:01) I think it's good that people have an interest and strong opinions. Why should anyone object to that?! Hopefully as many people as possible will take an interest and vote.

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - James (28th Mar 2016 - 18:09:17) All good suggestions However no one has mentioned a London plane? These are solid trees that can be managed well with a cycle of thinning and re pollarding every 5-10 years. The timber characteristics are good and very rarely suffer from ductile fracture. The plane is also very pollution resilient. Just a thought James

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - helen (28th Mar 2016 - 18:47:30) James. the list to vote on was given out some weeks ago by the Anchor. There is no option to vote for anything not on the list? I thought the london plane tree is a non native hybrid which drops too much stuff onto the pavement?

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - James (29th Mar 2016 - 17:32:26) Fair point , It's not native and I have now voted for the tulip tree. Let's see what happens

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - David McCoy (30th Mar 2016 - 17:56:01) I haven't seen or been able to find a sensible reason to my question as to why a tree of the same type cannot be planted other than it is not on green kings list. Oh, Paul did say a couple of may this and may thats. It does seem a bit silly that a seemingly popular option is not on the list. And why are we being rushed into making a decision. It does seem as if it is someone's agenda.

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - Jane Ives (30th Mar 2016 - 19:11:53) Last couple of days for voting everyone! Lots of votes have been placed so far but please do vote if you want to have you say. Details at the top of this thread. Secondly, I have spoken with Greene King today and they have indicated that they would most likely be happy to put in an Indian Horse Chestnut rather than the Sweet Chestnut currently on the list should the Chestnut tree be chosen. This is great news for those who were concerned about the choice of Chestnut tree. Jane

Re: Vote NOW for new tree in The Square - liz (5th Apr 2016 - 09:07:08) What was the preferred tree?

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