As a result of all your input it’s clear that the vision we have for this project is for the church grounds to be welcoming, user friendly and spiritual with good connections with our city and providing a place where people can congregate and gather. This is encapsulated in the draft brief which is in the foyer and also on the parish website (look under Board of Managers). You can provide feedback by posting comments on the website or you can email Kerry. All HB members of the Institute of Landscape Designers have been advised that we are seeking expressions of interest in the project and the brief will be used by whoever gets the job as the basis for their engagement by the parish. Thank you for all the contributions you have made

Introduction
We’ve been through a process to gather ideas and the following ideas are what are generally suggested as the key points we want the person undertaking the landscaping design to consider. Once we’ve discussed this it will go to Board of Managers for their final approval.

General
We want the church and grounds to be part of the city as currently there is poor connection between the church and our city.

We want
• the church and grounds to be welcoming, user friendly and spiritual with few barriers for people,
• people to be able use the area for congregating and gathering (this may happen before or after events in the church, or it may happen for people coming off the street),
• the entry to the grounds to be clear and easy for pedestrians,
• the layout of entrances and pathways to help people know where the entrances to the buildings are, and
• grounds designed so that minimal maintenance is required.

We acknowledge that
• there is a need to separate the grounds from the street in an aesthetically pleasing way and in this regard the existing wall is poorly constructed, has little historical value and is in disrepair,
• the layout of the adjacent Municipal Theatre is an interesting model but we don’t necessarily want to copy that, and
• money and space are constraints on any design.

Trees
We acknowledge the value of the trees in this city environment for their shade, greenness and the fact that they are the only large group of trees in the CBD, but we recognise that they:
• have been poorly maintained and if they are retained will need to be repaired and that we will have to keep them professionally maintained in the future, and
• can cause problems with drainage systems.

It is recommended that the gum tree be removed because of its condition and that it crowds out the site and adjacent trees.

Protecting the roots of the trees through appropriate landscaping is suggested and this may include the provision of seating around the trees.

Vehicles
Access for vehicles like hearses is essential and there should be provision for up to four car parks for the disabled.

Draft July 2011

I have collated and sifted all the good ideas and thinking that went into our recent workshop and have developed a draft brief for the landscaping project. So that you can talk this through, I will be at the church during the week at the following times: Tuesday 19th 2-3pm, Wednesday 20th 7-8pm and Thursday 21st 10-11am. You are invited to come along at one of these times and I will take you through the ideas that make up the draft brief. There will also be a copy on the Parish website and on the notice board next Sunday. I look forward to discussing this further with you. Kerry