I am getting increasingly more frustrated at the tree loss that is going on in this City. It seems that developers alongside the Council are far too willing to cut down trees often citing paranoid Health and Safety concerns regarding falling limbs. Now I accept that many of the recent fellings were due to tree sickness but any decent woodsman knows that severe pollarding can save an ill tree. So why do the Council not give these ill trees the chance to live again. Money is basically the answer. I talked to a chap from the council and he said that they couldnt afford the ongoing maintenance to let them live and to this end, they cut the ill trees down to 2 metres. He said they cut them down and leave them as markers for a possible replanting in the future as opposed to stump grinding them out with the risk of (their) council coming along and filling the holes. If you look at the photo you can see quite clearly how this particular tree has totally recovered from its severe pollarding and is pretty bloody healthy despite being naturally pruned by traffic. Now I think their approach is wrong and they should leave at least 3 metres so that should the tree recover it will not be a height obstruction. Why not give the tree the chance to recover? especially as they talk of potential future replacement. Regarding the maintenance I would like to set up a group of volunteers initially who could join with me in managing the trees without recourse to Council interference. I would like to apply for a grant from the Quartet Community Foundation to aid in this as some trees would require higher access. I would particularly welcome help from tree surgeons if only in an advisory capacity and indeed any comments about this idea. The way I see it is that if a tree is targeted for removal why not give it a chance? There is nothing to lose and plenty to gain. Any trees that are reborn save the Council from replanting and hence cost. So come on Bristol and the green deal 2014 lets get behind this.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 19:45:48 +0000
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