Committee to consider removal of dangerously decayed trees next to busy highway

December 7, 2016 by Southend Borough Council

Committee to consider removal of dangerously decayed trees next to busy highway

Tuesday 6th December 2016

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Development Control committee is being asked to consider the removal of diseased trees aligning a busy Southend junction which are at risk of falling onto passing pedestrians and motorists.

Tree specialists from the Council’s parks team are seeking permission to remove 38 Lombardy poplars, which run along the boundaries of council-owned land along the A127 and Rochford Road at the Bell Junction.

Resistance Testing carried out on the Lombardy poplars – known for their short life-span and susceptibility to fungal disease – showed that 21 of the trees are now so rotten at their core that they are at risk of collapsing onto the highway.

The remainder, which are also showing earlier stages of decay, would be at increased risk of collapse due to the increased wind resistance, if only the 21 worst affected trees were removed.

The report is being considered at the meeting of the Development Control Committee on 14 December.

Just under 10 years ago, one of the poplars next to Rochford Road partly collapsed onto the highway, narrowly avoiding the driver of a passing vehicle. That tree and six others have since been removed and arboricultural officers have been closely monitoring the condition of the other trees since.

Tree specialists propose the best option for this area would be to remove all of the poplars and plant replacement trees in the same area. Twenty trees have been suggested as replacements with 10 tulip trees and 10 acer trees. Though fewer in number, these are broader leafed trees will provide improved screening from the highway and provide a similar level of protection from air pollution.

Cllr Ann Holland, Executive Councillor for Culture, Tourism and the Economy, said: “The removal of trees is something the council does not take lightly and the Development Control Committee will carefully consider the tree specialists’ report as well as representations from local residents and stakeholders before reaching a decision.”

Members of the public may view copies of the application, plans and any other documents submitted with it on the Southend Borough Council website at www.southend.gov.uk/viewplans