MAJOR works will be carried out in Webheath, Redditch, to remove trees infected with Ash dieback disease, writes Tayla O’Hara.
The fungal infection is severe and weakens ash species, causing leaf loss, branch dieback and ultimately tree death.
The trees which need addressing are along Birchfield Road, from the top of Bromsgrove Road to the slip road for Bromsgrove Highway.
The works, which will remove infected trees, will be carried out in the coming months, although a start date is yet to be confirmed.
Redditch Borough Council’s portfolio holder for climate change and biodiversity, Coun Jen Snape, said: “It’s imperative that we look after our local environment and remove any trees with diseases, as if left they can become structurally weaker and therefore become a safety risk to residents.”
Despite not being detrimental to humans, it is essential to treat and recognise the safety hazards to avoid harm to the environment and maintain structural integrity to neighbouring ash trees.
These infected trees are characterised by having orange marks placed on them.
By removing them, other trees are able to remain strong and allow for natural regeneration – for that reason, replacements for the removed Ash trees will not need to be planted.
The loss of these native trees would have incomprehensible implications on biodiversity if the problem was not addressed, so this work is essential and will, promisingly, minimise the spread of the infection.
Anyone who has questions about the works can email Redditch Borough Council at: tree-[email protected] for more information.
