Stroud Green trees: Iconic poplars to be felled after another came down during Storm Henk
A number of iconic Newbury trees are to be felled this week – after a fourth one came down in recent high winds.
A detailed tree survey was carried out of the Lombardy poplar trees that line the edge of Stroud Green.
And six will now be taken down on Thursday as they have gone past their expected lifespan and are showing signs of decay.
In the last three years four of the trees have come down in high winds – two across Racecourse Road and two falling across the green itself.
The most recent one came down on January 2, as Storm Henk battered the district.
The mature Italian poplars, which usually have a lifespan of 50-60 years, were planted in the late 1960s.
In a public notice on the green the countryside team at West Berkshire Council said: “It is around this time that we expect to see hollowing formation of trees at this age.
“Recent detailed tree inspections of the Lombardy poplar population on Stroud Green have identified a number of mature trees that have evidence of basal decay and wood embrittlement.
“The lower stems develop basal cavity formation with decay extending into the roots, leading to a reduction in structural stability and an increase in stem hollowing.
“Over time this leads to spreading wood dysfunction and reduced strength, which increases the chances of limb and stem failure, seen more frequently in species with weaker wood qualities, such as poplars.”
This week’s felling of the first six trees was work that needed to be done immediately, but the council team will now carry out public engagement activity to decide how best to ensure the continued safety of the remaining ones.
You can email the team with your views on the trees at Stroud Green ahead of the official consultation at trees@westberks.gov.uk.
“We recognise that these trees are locally significant and well recognised and we intend to carry out some public engagement of these iconic trees during the course of this year,” they added.
