sea-mills-character-appraisal

8.31 Public green spaces such as Sea MillsSquare and the focal greens in front of thelibrary are also susceptible to damage fromcars either parking or driving across them.8.32 A few of the planned enclosed openspaces, particularly Coombe Dale and theone adjacent to Ely Grove, have becomeovergrown. There is currently an undersupply of allotment plots in the area. Theenhancement of these spaces would impactpositively on the character of Sea MillsGarden Suburb.8.33 Some of the public open spaces such asThree Acre Covert and the Trym Valley,particularly between Dingle Road andShirehampton Road, suffer from lack ofmaintenance, which limit their use andvalue. The white bridge that spans theTrym Valley via Dingle Road is particularlyin need of regular care of its appearance.The north side of this bridge lies within theKings Weston and Trym Valley ConservationArea and the south side within the Sea MillsConservation Area.Street Furniture8.34 Traditional street furniture, such as lampstandards, wooden telegraph poles,telephone kiosks, post boxes and originalstreet signs adds to the quality and specialinterest of the environment and their lossor damage threatens to undermine this.8.35 Unsympathetically sited or non-traditionalstreet furniture can be highly detrimentalto the public realm, especially in sensitiveareas such as Sea Mills Square.Recreation and Play Facilities8.37 Poor signage and uninviting entrances torecreation facilities and footpaths, and thelack of seating, planting, and maintenance,currently make these spaces un-welcoming.In addition, an original entrance path tothe Recreation Ground (between numbers33 and 35 St. Edyth’s Road) has beenblocked. These factors combine to reducetheir use and have an impact on visual aswell as physical amenity. The tennis courtsin Dingle Close require upgrading andmaintenance.8.38 Play-space facilities in the ConservationArea currently fail to meet the Council’srequirements for quantity and distance;that which does exist is undermined by thepoorly maintained equipment and surfaces.Views & Vistas8.39 The high quality views in the vicinity ofthe sports grounds located between thePortway and the River Avon are spoiledby the mobile phone masts and floodlightmasts. These masts are out-of-characterwith the conservation area and thesurrounding area. Light spillage from thefloodlights also impacts on the quality ofthe Conservation Area.8.40 It is important to the roofscape of theGarden Suburb that no more buildings arepermitted to punctuate the skyline as thiswould detract from the skyline as originallyplanned with just the two churchespunctuating it.Street Trees8.36 Street trees are vital to the quality of thelocal environment and their loss throughfelling or damage gradually undermines thequality of the area.74. 1.