I believe the planned loss of "hundreds of trees" on St. Giles Hill, as described on page 5 of the Chronicle on March 16, will have a devastating effect on much more than the Hill itself.

The project as described is to focus on access and biodiversity, with civic employees and volunteers, presumably under supervision, doing the work on the ground. I feel that enthusiastic "rejuvenation" should be restrained, and expertise in Heritage Landscaping sought before work begins, with monitoring throughout.

Is this proposed loss of "hundreds of trees", apparently, "largely for safety reasons", what Winchester people want? Councils in Sheffield, and, more recently, Plymouth, are discovering, too late, how much people love and value the mature trees in their city for their beauty and environmental qualities. 

Seen far across the City from the Westgate, the view of St. Giles Hill, trees silhouetted against the sky, is breathtaking. Also, to look up at these trees when walking along The Weirs, beside one of the loveliest chalk rivers in the country, is an experience to be grateful for. It is not the Hill itself, but the trees on the skyline that the eye is drawn to and that form a scenic background unique to Winchester. 

Cllr Radcliffe says that, outside London, he "cannot think of any town in Britain that has a park to rival the views from St. Giles Hill". Surely, equally precious is the iconic view of St. Giles Hill from the elsewhere in the City - a view which would be greatly diminished by the loss of its mature trees.

I hope that in five years time we will not look back regretfully on St. Giles Hill as we had known it. Unused cycle lanes in North Walls can be removed, but mature trees and the wealth of ivy on the Hill, much beloved by bees and other insects, cannot be brought to life again.

Mary Pearson,
Manor Close,
Winchester

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