New Milton Town Council could replace felled KFC maples with potted flowering cherry trees

REPLACEMENT trees are planned outside New Milton’s now-closed KFC after the felling of its three maples shocked residents.

The town council has secured permission from the landowner to install flowering cherry trees in self-watering planters in their place in front of the Station Road site.

As reported in the A&T, locals were outraged after the mature trees were cut down without warning in May.

Following initial confusion over ownership, it was established they were on private land.

The managing agents explained to the council afterwards that the roots were damaging the pavement on the upper tier walkway.

They also said the parapet wall foundations and drainage and utility services were being affected.

The trees were not protected by tree preservation orders and no permission was needed to fell them.

All three stumps were later removed and the areas paved over.

Last week, the KFC branch closed permanently when franchise holder Caskade Caterers went into administration.

It was one of 53 outlets affected, 13 of which shut for good, including one on Barrack Road in Christchurch.

The town council’s amenities committee is set to consider the potted trees proposal at its meeting on Tuesday 9th July.

If given the go-ahead, they would be installed in the autumn.

The proposal stated: “As with anything grown in a container/planter there would be slightly more maintenance than those grown in the ground, this would be mainly watering.

“The chosen self-watering containers will have built-in capillary dispersal matting and a water reservoir so that the tree compost is left moist at all times.

“The planting medium will also be carefully chosen to ensure good water retention.”

Filling the three container reservoirs was expected to take no longer than 20 minutes per week in a dry summer and much less time through winter.

The land’s managing agents have agreed to foot £500 of the expected £900 total cost, with the remainder to come from the council’s service level agreement budget.