Work will begin on Holy Trinity Square on Monday, 20 March to revamp the space as part of Colchester’s £19.2 million Town Deal Funding.
The historic churchyard of Holy Trinity Church could become a green oasis in the city centre, but currently is not open to the public to enjoy. The vision for the square is to allow daytime public use as an informal green space, where people can enjoy the shade of trees and the calm of the churchyard, while continuing to provide a habitat for wildlife in the city centre.
Over the years, the churchyard has become overgrown and some of the trees have fallen into poor condition. Earlier in the year, on the recommendation of tree experts, essential pruning was done to some of the trees. A small number of the trees remain overcrowded or block access to the church, but we will be able to retain 18 of the 23 trees in the churchyard. The five trees that need to be removed are:
- One small yew tree which is blocking access to one of the church’s fire escapes
- Three small trees which are struggling to grow properly as they are in the shade of other, larger trees
- One holly tree which, while providing winter evergreen colour, is crowding out other trees around it, which need more space and is blocking daylight to plants below.
Holy Trinity Square is a key part of Colchester’s Town Deal Funding, which aims to refresh neglected and forgotten areas of the City Centre, creating new public spaces that allow people to enjoy a tranquil natural space in the middle of the city.
Cllr David King, Leader of Colchester City Council said: “Green space and trees are greatly valued in Colchester. This revamp of Holy Trinity Square will allow nature to flourish in the heart of the city.
“The work done in Holy Trinity Square is the minimum possible to ensure safe access to and from the church, and to allow the other trees to grow healthily. This is an approach that retains the much-loved green and peaceful character of the churchyard and opens it up for residents to enjoy. Improving our public spaces is at the heart of the Town Deal projects and we can’t wait to share the results and open the garden next year.”
Page last reviewed: 17 March 2023