'Premature death for Spalding riverside trees' is expert's warning
A tree expert is calling into question work done to lime trees on Spalding London Road riverside that has left them looking “disfigured and mutilated”.
Brian Ogden, describes himself as an experienced arboriculturalist who has looked after trees for local authorities for more than 25 years.
He said: “I cannot stand by and see these trees mismanaged to such an extent.
“The work is not in accordance with the current British Standard for Tree work, BS3998 2010.
“You do not need to be a tree expert to see that the trees now appear disfigured and mutilated. They have lost any natural form and grace.
“I do understand that these trees have been reduced in the past on more than one occasion, but since then they have developed a crown of natural appearance, that posed no serious safety risk.
“At this stage in their lives these trees will never again be able to fully regain the natural form.”
But Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, portfolio holder for place, said: “Trees in any conservation area such as those on London Road are subject to protective conditions similar to those that have tree protection orders (TPOs).
“The work has been carried out by experienced and knowledgeable contractors to the required standards.
“Pollarding is a method that may look extreme and not very pretty, but work such as this has been carried out every four to five years for the past few decades and each time the trees have grown back to regain their shape and structure.”
Mr Ogden emailed South Holland District Council’s planning department, Lincolnshire County Council and county and district councillor Elizabeth Sneath in a bid to get the work stopped.
He warned them: “Such a drastic reduction leaving huge open cut wound right through cell walls and the removal of so much of the crown of these trees will result in physiological stress.
“This has removed 75% of the trees leaf-bearing crown. Leaves are the food factories of a tree.
“Removing them will temporarily starve the trees and trigger many survival mechanisms.
“Principally the trees will have to put out a new crop of leaves as soon as possible, and use up valuable stored energy reserves to do so, weakening the trees leading to premature death.
“The issues are many, a stressed tree with large, open pruning wounds is more vulnerable to insect and disease infestations. The tree may lack sufficient energy to chemically defend the wounds against decay and invasion of decay causing fungi.
“This type of work also will lead to structural weakness.”
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