Works required on trees to make them safe

Published: 22 April 2020

Officers at the City Council continue to identify unsafe trees across Exeter during the Coronavirus outbreak to ensure the city remains a safe place to be.

Sadly, two matures trees have been identified with significant decay and work will need to be carried out to make them safe.

The first is a mature Tulip tree at Eton Walk. Following an inspection, officers found extensive decay in the base of the tree, which has greatly compromised its structural integrity.

Because the tree is close to a well-used walkway and children’s play area and is now considered a high risk of failure, works have been recommended to remove the tree. An information notice will be posted on the tree.

The other tree is a mature oak in Glasshouse Lane. Again, officers detected a major cavity in the base on inspection. The defect is likely to have significantly affected the trees structural integrity and overall stability. In order to mitigate the risk and reduce it to a tolerable level, crown reduction works have been recommended. An information notice will also be posted on the tree.

Cllr David Harvey, Lead Councillor for Environment and City Management, said that the City Council valued trees highly and had planted some 10,000 in the last ten years.

“However trees don’t last forever and for the safety of our residents and visitors, from time to time we need to make them safe. Damaged trees are often replaced with new ones and we work hard to ensure the city stays green,” he added.