THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE OAK TREE WALK AROUND POULSHOT
Issue:
1. At the Parish Council meeting on 18 May 22 the councillors agreed kindly to the planting of 7 native oak trees by Poulshot Village Trust around the village (as at Annex A) to establish a Jubilee Walk as part of the celebrations for HM Queen’s Jubilee and the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative (https://queensgreencanopy.org) . The ideal planting time is October to April, Poulshot Village Trust has sought quotations for 7 mature saplings (girth 8-10 centimetres). Membership of the Trust is just £10 per family, so the Trust does not have much funding, accordingly it seeks a grant of from the Community Fund to pay for the trees and stakes and the Trust plans to fund the commemorative plaques and additional planting and protection costs.
Timing:
2. No later than mid-August to allow the Trust to order the trees in time for planting in October.
Request/Recommendation:
3. The Executive Committee of the Poulshot Village Trust requests that the Parish Council agree: a grant from the Community Fund of up to £2500 (including VAT) to fund the purchase of 7 mature oak saplings to create a Jubilee walk as an enduring village amenity. Furthermore, that the Council notes that the Executive Committee of the Poulshot Village Trust plans to fund the cost of Queen’s Green Canopy plaques (Figure 1) at each location and signs with information such as the tree species, location of the next tree on the walk, or nearby points of interest and has set aside funds totalling £1250 (including VAT) to do so.
Background
4. The Village Trust was invited to make arrangements to plant 7 trees, one for each decade, to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70th Jubilee as part of the village celebrations led by the Parish Council. The Trust proposed that the native oak trees should form both part of the national Queen’s Green Canopy project and a circular walk around the village. This proposal was accepted by the Parish Council at its meeting on 18 May 2022, as reflected in the minutes.
5. Since the agreement the Trust Committee has sought detailed quotations for suitable trees, planting compost, stakes, deer protection and commemorative plaques/signage – Currently membership of the Trust is £10 per family or £5 per individual with fee as low as possible to enable all the village to afford membership. As a consequence the Trust does not have much funding of its own beyond a legacy that it plans to use with the agreement of those with a familial association with the legacy.
6. Consideration has be given to asking members of the village to donate funds for the trees. Given the difficulty raising funds for the Jubilee celebrations this has been discounted. A grant from the Community Fund appears the most secure way to fund the walk which will be a community amenity and the Trust still hopes the community will participate in planting the trees.
