Growing a Greener Estate

When the war ended, there was local interest in maintaining the racecourse at Northolt. With a serious housing shortage and the site within walking distance of two railway stations, the racecourse was compulsorily purchased in 1946 by Ealing Council to build ~1000 new houses. New roads were named after racecourses and the site became known as Racecourse Estate ¹ .

 _{Image 1 from https://northoltparkracecourse.wordpress.com; Images 2 and 3 from Britain From Above ( link ).}  

When the estate was built large areas were left undeveloped to provide residents with access to open space. In more recent years, many of the green spaces fell into decline, managed as close mown amenity grassland, or changed land use. The remaining patches of greenspace were therefore important to enhance and look after for local residents.

When designing greenspace enhancements, we will look at where there is available land and if there is any other existing vegetation. It can be helpful to look at which tree species are already thriving and which ones are struggling in order to select species which are most likely to do well, and to ensure we retain valuable habitat from grasslands, marsh / wetlands and scrub. It may not be suitable to plant trees in these sensitive locations.  We may also want to add to the diversity of tree species present, complement or to replicate it.

Importantly, we want to design greenspaces that the community will enjoy actively or passively, or to improve their view. At Racecourse Estate we both consulted on designs already created, gathering feedback, and created designs collaboratively with community members. We co-designed projects during spring and summertime celebration events and through school workshops.

Size of tree – you could plant a very small young tree (sometimes called a sapling, known as a ‘whip’) or a tree which is a few years old (known as a ‘standard’). Normally, for creating woodlands and hedgerows we plant whips and for stand-alone trees such as avenue planting or street trees we plant standards.

Type of tree - when choosing the tree species we consider:

• The amount of sunlight it needs
• The type of soil it likes to grow in e.g. clay/sandy/loam
• The amount of water it likes to grow in e.g. alder and willow like a wet soil and are found naturally near ponds and rivers
• The height and spread of the tree at maturity – the tree needs space to grow and not cause any obstructions
• Value for people – does the tree provide fruit, shade or help manage local flood risk?
• Seasonal display - spring blossoms, summer fruit and autumnal reds
• Value for wildlife – does the tree provide food or a home for wildlife such as bats, birds or pollinators?

This is linked to the species of tree chosen and the value the trees have for people and wildlife. We consider:

• Aspect and light - Light levels need to be appropriate for the tree species chosen- some like full sunlight, some like partial light and some like shade. Light levels will vary over the course of a day and over a year.
• Spacing - The future root and canopy growth of a tree should also be considered. Trees which are planted close to one another will compete for light and nutrients. Sometimes we want to encourage this competition (e.g. when we plant woodlands) but at other times we want individual trees to thrive (e.g. when we plant standards). The tree could also affect neighbouring buildings or structures in future. Trees should therefore be planted an appropriate distance away from each other and from surrounding structures above and below ground.
• Neighbouring Species - Trees, like people, have friends! Some species will get along better than others, this is particularly important for flowering and fruiting trees which will need cross-pollination.
• Ground Conditions - Soil type and water retention determine what species of tree we can plant. If conditions are too wet or too dry some species will struggle to establish or fail. The right tree in the right ground conditions can flourish.
• Utilities - Trees must be sufficiently far away from above and below ground utilities. These include electricity cables, gas and water pipes and overhead telecom cables.

By planting a tree well, you can increase its chances of it surviving and thriving. Trees should be planted over winter from October to February, when they are dormant, allowing time for the roots to establish while there is plentiful water supply before the summer.

The technique you use for planting a tree is also important.

If you want to plant your own tree, make sure you seek permission from the landowner, unless you are planting on your own private land.

Following the successful food growing engagement at Petts Hill Primary and co-design with residents, we designed new structures for Racecourse Estate such as benches, picnic tables with benches, entrance arches, raised planting beds, sculptures and a trim trail. The design features were chosen in response to evident enthusiasm for greening, growing and playing.

Tree planting events, run by our Community Engagement and Urban Forestry teams, have planted 89 larger trees and 825 small trees over 4 years between 2019 and 2023 (on top of more than 10,000 trees planted between 2013 and 2018). We ran multiple events of all sizes - in the pandemic with individual families and up to 50 people in our weekend community planting days.

Across the estate we planted 60 apple trees of 10 different types between 2019 and 2023. This is in addition to many other fruit trees, such as mulberry, plum, cherry and pear and the ancient and lesser known quince and medlar which are inedible raw but used to make jams and jellies. We picked fruit with the pupils of Petts Hill Primary School and it was distributed through their foodbank.

We have planted hedgerows around the perimeter of Northolt Park. Species include hawthorn, blackthorn and hazel, providing opportunities to boost local biodiversity.

The spiral orchard is the centrepiece of our work in Northolt Park. It is a logarithmic spiral shaped distribution of twelve apple trees, with mulch filled grooves. When it is fully grown, it will provide delicious free fruit, including some interesting apple varieties like “Core Blimey!” and “Tickled Pink”.

We planted 17,200 bulbs, including daffodils, crocus and gladioli. These provide beautiful seasonal colour to the estate, as well as providing a source of food for pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

We have installed 15 raised planting beds in three locations including the communal gardens of Folkestone Court and Hill Court, which provide opportunity for people to grow fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables. We also installed raised planting beds at the Northolt Sea Scouts yard. We held workshops with the scouts for them to earn their gardener and forester badges, using the raised beds.

When we began work at Racecourse Estate, there were just two public benches.We installed five oak picnic benches with raised planting beds and six additional benches in Northolt Park. The addition of seats along the park's central path was suggested by some elderly residents that want to enjoy the occasional rest. Inspired by the wind damaged fallen trunks of some major trees on the estate over the last four years, we also partnered with a wood sculptor to create three signature installations around the park including two beautiful benches.

Co-design with KS1 and KS2 school children from Petts Hill Primary led to the installation of a chestnut trim trail, inspired by their models and drawings.The trim trail is on the quieter west side of the Northolt Park and interweaves with tall poplars and grasses, enabling natural play within the city park.