Western Woodland Border

The Vision

Our vision is to make the tree-lined western border of the Gardens more ecologically diverse, attractive and to feel safer.

Our principal objectives:

• To improve winter interest and sensory stimulation through greater use of scent and colour;
• To admit more light to provide favourable conditions for flowering ground flora which is the source of food for pollinators;
• To diversify ground flora for visual amenity and wildlife value;
• To create enhanced habitat opportunities for wildlife; and
• To improve cross-visibility to discourage anti-social behaviour.

Public Consultation

We secured £3,700 in July 2023 from the Rampion Community Benefit Fund at Sussex Community Foundation to enhance the public amenity and wildlife habitat along the Western Woodland border of Denton Gardens. Previously we gained general support for our plans prior to obtaining funding. This was achieved through feedback following information disseminated to our Friends group and the wider public via email, on our website and Facebook page, posted on our public noticeboard in the Gardens and presented at our last AGM in September 2022.

With funding now in place enabling us to set our plans in motion, in September 2023 we held a more detailed and targeted consultation exercise to help us understand the specific interests, preferences and any ideas and possible concerns of local residents, park users and visitors. These are public Gardens gifted to the people of Worthing and as a Friends group we are very aware that any changes we make should be beneficial and positive for as wide a user group as possible.

We do not wish to change the character of the border but we do feel we can enhance it for the benefit of all. We hope to focus on wildlife habitat, new planting and enhancement of the existing planting. One of our regular gardeners, Michał Zarzecki, has very helpfully put together a document describing ideas to enhance and improve the woodland border. Click on the image to view full size (PDF)

This document is designed to capture your imagination and whet your appetite for discussion to enable us to make yet more community led improvements to the gardens.

UPDATE: DECEMBER 2023
We have now completed the public consultation – you can read the results here:
Western Woodland Border – Consultation Summary

UPDATE: MARCH 2024
View our action plan here: Action Plan 2023/24

UPDATE 5th APRIL
Thank you to the FoDG Volunteers and the WBC Grounds Maintenance team for their support in helping us plant the first delivery of plants and shrubs in the border.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: 27 APRIL 2024
We had a fabulous morning planting native woodland plants along the wooded edge. Thank you Anthony for support and all the volunteers who turned up. Great team effort by everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A huge thank you to the Rampion Offshore Wind Community Benefit Fund and Sussex Community Foundation for providing the funds that allowed us to complete this project.