Stroud Green Lombardy poplars starting to be cut down after health and safety fears

The first of a Newbury park’s iconic long-standing trees has been removed.

The 56 large mature Lombardy poplars on Stroud Green have become natural landmarks for the town since they were first planted in the 1960s.

But this week sees the start of their removal. In recent years several of the trees have come down in high winds and it was decided that the poplars had reached the end of their typical 50- to 60-year lifespan.

West Berkshire Council decided it would fell all 56 of them earlier this year and launched a public survey to find out what should be done to replace them.

It was announced last week that they will be replaced by a new set of Lombardy poplars.

A survey was carried out and all feedback taken into consideration when the decision was made, the council said.

It aims to begin planting the new set of trees between November 2025 and February 2026.

The work to fell all of the 56 current trees is expected to take three weeks and is being undertaken by the same company that planted the trees back at the end of the 1960s.

A council spokesperson said: “This species of tree has dominated the skyline of that part of Newbury since they became fully grown and many residents consider the avenue to be iconic.

“It would be difficult to achieve the same impact with another native tree species.

“The fast-growing nature of the species has its disadvantages, as they’re relatively short-lived, however, this also means that a visible, tall avenue of trees can be achieved in a relatively short time.”

The council’s survey received 1,135 responses from Newbury residents and visitors to the town with several suggestions made for both native and non-native trees to become the poplars’ replacement.

The most popular choice at 38 per cent was the Lombardy poplar again, despite its relatively shorty lifespan and non-native status.

The council acknowledged that the poplars are not the best option ecologically when compared to native species, but it stated that the trees still had their advantages.

The bark of the tree provides a home for bats, and the current poplars are a roosting site for populations of starlings and other birds.

A council spokesperson added: “Poplars draw up large amounts of water from the ground and release it into the atmosphere, adding humidity to the air, which has a cooling effect, and makes the air more breathable during heatwaves, and helping with flood alleviation during the wetter months.

“Due to their upright nature, the species works well as a windbreak and can withstand storms well.

“Lombardy poplars generally require very little maintenance as they do not have large sprawling branches which interfere with passing traffic, nor low growing branches which may need to be lifted above head height to accommodate pedestrians.”

The major downside of the poplar re-planting is that this process of felling the trees and finding a replacement will repeat itself in 50 to 60 years’ time.

The council currently considers all the existing poplar trees to be dangerous and presenting a risk to the public.