Hedgerows to ‘hide’ gantries

MORE than 990m of hedgerows have been planted in South Stoke to combat the visual impact of rail gantries.

The work was part of the Mend the Gap project, which aims to enhance areas of the Goring Gap that have been negatively affected by the electrification of the Great Western Railway.

Project manage Ruth Staples-Rolfe said: “We’ve put in native hedgerows including hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel and elder.

“We also have put in some of the signature species native to South Stoke, which is wild pear.

“The hedgerows are an attempt to reduce the audio-visual impact of the gantries. It is hard for people who have been living in these areas for a long time to see their landscape change so dramatically.

“In the longer term, we will be putting in more trees, which are extremely important for encouraging wildlife.

“We’re reaching out to landowners and community members to put forward proposals which will enhance the area's biodiversity, landscape and recreational aspects.

“We have a £750,000 mitigation fund.” 

This winter the focus of Mend the Gap’s work will move to Goring and Purley.