SEVERAL unsafe lime trees are to be felled on New Road after assessors discovered they had decayed due to disease.
Work to remove the trees will begin tomorrow (Monday) following an independent assessment which found seven trees were diseased and need to be removed as a matter of urgency for health and safety reasons.
The assessment was commissioned by Worcestershire County Council’s Highways team after concerns were raised about the condition of the trees and ahead of a potential scheme to raise the road later this year and reduce its flood risk.
Coun Marcus Hart, cabinet member for Highways, confirmed the condition of the trees was worse than expected.
“Scans of the trees show a worrying amount of decay due to disease. Two of the trees were recommended to be removed within three months and a further five within six months.
“In addition, a further 11 trees require urgent branch removal work,” he said.
In order to minimise any potential impact on nesting birds, all of the work needs to be carried out before the end of March 2017.
“The safety of road users has got to be the Highway’s Authority number one priority and, while no one wants to remove these trees, it is clearly unavoidable this time,” Coun Hart added.
“To maintain the leafy nature of this area, we will make sure the loss of these trees is mitigated by re-planting, in a suitable location.”
