TREES on one of the borough’s notorious roundabouts are due to be chopped down due to safety fears.
Council officers are removing the Poplar trees on the Warwick Highways island at the junction of Alders
and Claybrook Drives because of the risk they pose to passing traffic and pedestrians.
Gavin Boyes, Redditch Borough Council’s landscape and countryside officer, said the trees on the island were in very poor condition due to their age and because there were so many of them competing for resources vital for healthy growth.
“This deterioration creates a risk of falling debris so we are removing them all with a view to replanting the area in the Autumn with a mix of more sustainable trees.” he said.
Work is expected to start on Monday, March 16 and take two weeks to complete. Traffic management measures will be implemented around the island while the trees are removed.
But the decision has angered some residents. One, who did not want to be named, told the Standard: “Although I can appreciate the problem we will be left with yet another bland island in the town.
“It’s the iconic island between Morrison’s and Mappleborough Green with its beautiful tall trees and landscaping.
“Future plans to relandscape it appear very vague. A few daffodils seem a poor replacement for what was a welcome sight into Redditch.”
But Mr Boyes added while orders for the new planting scheme had not yet been place, they would include broadleaf stock made up of trees including Oak and Lime and Autumn had been chosen to plant as that was the optimum time to do it.
