Trees are a great benefit to our neighbourhood. As such they are a regular topic of interest to residents. Whilst many of us are keen to see more of the “right type” of trees in our neighbourhood (More on GMTRA and new trees here >>) there are also some trees that are seen as a nuisance becoming too large and disruptive. We spoke to councillor Lester Buxton to get more detail on how the council regards larger trees and how they aim to manage them.
Council Response On Trees (November 2022)
“We try to avoid removing healthy mature trees unless they fall within the criteria below:
- they are dead or visibly in decline (except in woodlands and other open spaces where they pose little risk to the public)
- an inspection has identified visible decay, fungal brackets indicating possible root and trunk decay or any other defect that would lead to the tree failing (see comments in brackets above)
- evidence has been provided that they are a contributing factor in causing subsidence damage and proactive tree management has had no effect
- they are causing significant damage to the public highway and engineering solutions are not feasible to allow retention
Mature trees provide a greater range of benefits than smaller ones and we need to try to retain them where we can.
Where there is root damage to the footway, we will carry out root pruning where appropriate, and install new surfaces, such as Flexi-pave, that distort less that paving slabs.
We have a planned inspection and maintenance programme for all street trees, but in the last 4-5 years the programme has suffered delays due the previous budget not being adequate for the increasing cost of maintenance works. We have subsequently had a budget increase and are working through a backlog of works that will take up to 2-3 years to clear. The trees in Glasslyn and Tivoli are now scheduled to be surveyed in spring 2023.
Going forward, the aim is to reintroduce a 4-year inspection and maintenance programme for all ornamental street trees. The type of pruning carried out will depend on tree species, age of tree, its location and what works have been carried out historically.”
Residents can report any tree issues to the council through the Love Clean Streets app
Get In Touch
If you have any questions or concerns with our local street trees, new or old, please let us know. You can email the association here: contact@gmtra.org.uk . We look forward to hearing from you.