Page 16 - City Life Magazine - Spring 2023 Edition

16 Issue 62 • March 2023

TREES IN WORCESTER

Worcester tackles Ash Dieback

Felling is about to begin in

Worcester to remove diseased
and dangerous trees affected by
Ash Dieback.

It is expected that a the majority being native
significant number of species.
ash trees on Worcester
City Council land will be Tree diversity will help
lost over the next ten lower the risk of any future
years. Advice from the disease outbreaks having
Forestry Commission such a severe impact. Ash Dieback in Ash Dieback in
and Forest Research Astwood Cemetery Battenhall Park
Agency is that diseased The tree-felling programme best possible habitats for wildflower meadows and
ash trees in public spaces will begin shortly, with plants and animals. the rewilding of grass
should be removed early several mature ash trees verges. Our ongoing
once infection has been being removed from various “We are committed to programme of tree-planting
diagnosed, to protect locations across the city. improving Worcester’s and woodland management
public safety. environment and making will help to promote
ACTING TO our city greener with biodiversity and provide
Up to an estimated 10,000 PREVENT SPREAD initiatives such as our habitats for wildlife.”
ash trees in Worcester Councillor Andy Stafford,
are likely to be affected, chair of Worcester City
with the City Council Council’s Environment
responsible for roughly half. Committee, said: “While
it will be sad to see the
Trees in Worcester showing loss of so many trees in
high levels of resistance the city, it is vital that we
to Ash Dieback are being deal with the problem of
identified and will be Ash Dieback as swiftly as
protected and preserved. possible to prevent spread
In future, seeds may be and save as many trees as
collected from these trees we can.
and grown to restore ash
trees to the UK. “That means we will need
to remove diseased ash
TREE DIVERSITY trees, but we are confident
The diseased trees will that as we continue in our
be replaced with a variety programme of planting new
of different trees to trees, we can ensure that Ash Dieback – the facts
promote diversity, with our wooded areas are the

Ash Dieback leads to leaf loss and dead branches and
can cause lesions at the base of the tree, while also
making it more prone to secondary infections.

Once infection is apparent, few trees survive longer than
four years and they become increasingly dangerous as
the disease progresses. Falling branches from these very
tall trees can pose a danger to the public.

The disease is UK-wide and millions of ash trees across
the country have already been felled.

The effect of Ash Dieback upon the UK will be similar to
that of Dutch Elm Disease, that saw millions of trees lost
in the 1970s.

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