A number of trees are set to be cut down in Shanklin as they are riddled with fungus or pose a risk to public safety.
The Isle of Wight Council has submitted documents to itself of intention to carry out tree work in the conservation area around Big Mead and its surrounding roads in Shanklin.
Recently, Sandown residents have been complaining about tree works carried out by the council in Los Altos Park with a number of trees pollarded or cut down.
In Shanklin, more than 60 trees have been inspected and given a resulting action, ranging from further monitoring in the future to pollarding, branch thinning or removal.
12 are set to be removed and replaced but 6 could be removed completely. A 25-metre tall mature birch tree has already been removed as the work was deemed urgent due to a cavity in its base.
A sycamore tree, which is 18 metres tall, is to be removed and replaced as it has honey fungus and is in danger of falling into the playground as it leans that way.
3 trees will be pollarded, with an 18-metre tall lime tree reduced to half its size as a new fungus was found in the tree. 3 more trees will be cut back to a main stem, with an 11-metre tall horse chestnut, which leans over a path, being halved in size too. A 19-metre sycamore will be reduced to a 6-metre monolith as it has a canker and bacterial weeping.
Trees around St Blasius’s Church will also be tackled, with the 18-metre Lawson cypress tree near the front door, which is currently unbalanced due to loss of part of its central crown, being reduced in height to 10 metres to eliminate the chances of the tree falling on the church.
A 16-metre ash tree at the back of the church’s courtyard on the west side will be removed and replaced, as it has a bacterial infection. Recently, limbs from the tree had fallen into the graveyard.
No date has yet been set for the work to go ahead as there is still time for tree preservation orders to be made.
To view the full list of works proposed to the trees you can view the application, 21/00245/TW, on the council’s planning portal.
Wildlife and countryside act 1981 It is against the law to intentionally remove branches or trees when birds are actively building and nesting. … but then so is using certain weedkillers. Yet You still keep getting away with it ?
“when birds are actively building and nesting” – in February?
The go-to weedkiller is still glyphosate, just given an extension to its permit in EU but God knows what Defra is doing about it.
I did post further information here earlier about exactly which product they used last year, ‘re the wall lizards in Ventor, but my post wasn’t approved?
It seems to be very limited what one can post here now. Freedom of speech is already a thing of the past as well as the trees on our, once beautiful, Island.
Wood pigeons nest all year.
Had a letters from Council complaining about a hedge in front of my house (outside of my boundary) needed cutting even charging me if I don’t cut it.
Used to but not now.
There was a part of the letter warning about cutting hedge at certain time of month Is not allowed because of heating birds.
The bottom line is the Council do what they want when they want irrespective of the law.
Absolute shambles.
You don’t want to be heating birds at the wrong time of the month.
Have seen some cut down recently due to claims of fungus concerns. Not entirely sure that those responsible know which fungi are a real problem and which aren’t ?
Last week a neighbour’s tree crashed down over my property in Shanklin. There are dozens of similar trees all over 20 meters on the same plot just waiting for the next high wind. I asked the council for advice about getting the trees cut back, all I got was an email containing four lines of text cut and pasted from the Council’s FAQ web page. The Council would only look at the problem if I paid £500 (this is on top of my Band-E Council Tax of course).
They are getting ready for the next Barrett homes housing estate to go there. I have a friend on the mainland that works for Barretts and that land is ear marked for a complete estate.
Fungus resistant trees should be repacling those lost, but with HIGH thick metal security cages to prevent the oh so charming youth we not fund from our taxes in destroying anything of beauty, otherwise a waste of money, time and effort with the mentally ill we now support.
If they are a danger that’s fine. You say you will replace but nothing about like for like or is it a case of like for cheap
Are they re-planting ?
Probably not!
“submitted documents to itself of intention” Very convenient!
These are all extremely tall and mature trees which clearly cannot be replaced as it is claimed. This is vandalism and should be stopped.
I agree. Everywhere you look on the Island, all we see are trees being cut down. So many of the street Lime trees being pollarded so severely it kills quite a few each time. Usually this takes place in Spring when the trees are leafless, this time they were pollarded in Autumn when all the leaves were still on their branches. When I was a child growing up here, the street trees used to be beautiful, supplying much needed shade to walk under on a hot day, now they are never allowed to grow to anything more than a lollipop shape. Add to that, the concrete being put everywhere and our once beautiful Island is now just a concrete jungle.