Independent survey calls for removal of 'dangerous' Poplars

Release Date:  16-Aug-2007

A row of 30 ageing Poplar trees on the former Imperial Sports Ground at Knowle will sadly need to be removed urgently and replaced for public safety reasons, the city council has concluded today (Thursday, August 16th 2007) after receiving an independent report from specialist arboricultural contractors.

The Poplars - believed to be between 60 and 90-years-old - are subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) dating from the time when the land was privately owned. Under planning legislation, trees subject to a TPO cannot be removed without planning permission unless they are 'dead, dying or dangerous'.

Initial reports from the council's own tree experts indicated that the Poplars were in need of urgent replacement. Four of them had 'failed' in high winds earlier in the year and most were assessed as having severe damage or weakness in their crowns and branches. Tree experts believe that even the healthiest of the trees will pose a public safety risk once others in the row are removed, as their ageing and weakening trunks and branches become more exposed to high winds.

The additional independent assessment by specialist contractors Silvanus Services Ltd confirms this view and concludes: “this group of trees undoubtedly represents a major hazard and an unacceptable risk to both the users of the athletics field [under construction] and the adjacent major trunk roads and pavements/public walkways.” Silvanus Services recommend that: “these trees be removed as soon as possible and replaced once the ground works [for the new athletics field/sports pitches] have been completed.”

The council had hoped to be able to delay removing any trees until a formal planning decision could be taken after August 31st, following a a statutory public consultation period. However, in the light of the new report from the independent experts, council planning and parks managers have reluctantly concluded that public safety would potentially be put at risk if there was further delay. Tree removal contractors are expected to be on site - also shown on some maps as the Bear's Bridge Athletics Ground - to start removing the Poplars next week.

In order to build public confidence in the council's openness and transparency over this matter, all the inspection reports assessing the condition of the trees and recommending their removal and replacement are now available for downloading from the links at the end of this page.

All the trees will be replaced and the Parks service will be consulting residents over the precise nature and position of any replacement trees. An initial site meeting with interested parties to discuss the issues took place last week and the opportunity for further meetings will be offered. Planting would start this winter.

• The council's arboricultural service accepts that, with hindsight, it should have acted more promptly after some of the trees first failed in high winds last February - engaging with residents at that early stage to discuss the condition of the remaining Poplars; the health and safety risks posed and any proposals for the trees' eventual replacement. Failure to act at that time led to understandable confusion amongst some residents and a lack of public confidence in the arguments being presented to justify removing the trees earlier this summer. The service is determined to avoid a repeat of that situation and, in conjunction with its planning colleagues, is reviewing some of its procedures.

Author:  Simon Caplan

For all media enquiries relating to this press release, please contact Corporate Communications on 0117 922 2650.

To link to this page directly, use the URL
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/redirect?oid=PressRelease-id-19560007

Subscribe to our free email bulletin service and get the latest news and information about consultations and events happening in the city - www.bristol.gov.uk/newsdirect