Oakwood, Warrington New Town
Establishing ecologically functional greenways

Oakwood is one of three residential areas within the Birchwood district of Warrington New Town. It was developed in the early 1980s and occupies the former site of an Ordnance Factory. An entirely new landscape was designed consisting of linked woodland belts and parks. These form a ‘web’ of greenways enclosing the new housing. Footpaths and cycleways lead from the housing to recreational green space and out to the rural landscape.

The design and planting of these woodland belts aimed to create structural diversity, with complex patterns used to emulate natural mosaics of trees, shrubs and meadow. Vegetation was planted out six years ahead of housing development delivering a number of benefits:

• Less mature trees could be used, minimising costs
• Growth was unhindered during the most vulnerable period
• Residents moved into a mature and sheltered landscape, raising land values
• Vandalism normally associated with new planting was minimised

Whilst the establishment of designed ecosystems has been successful, the greenways’ function as pedestrian routes has been less so. The layout resulted in small estates becoming isolated, and the greenways were not way marked or lit. Some routes have been closed because of vandalism or safety issues. In some cases local roads are used by pedestrians because they are the safest and most direct routes.

Sources:
1. Scott, D, The greening of Warrington, Landscape Design
2. Tregay,R & Gustavsson,R (1983) Oakwood’s new landscape – designing for nature in the residential environment
3. CPRE, Memorandum to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Transport