In January 2017 Sefton Council ignored residents and councillors and went ahead with unnecessary and costly felling of a mature tree.
https://www.otsnews.co.uk/sefton-tree-butchers-ignore-residents-and-councillors-and-go-ahead-with-tree-felling/
After the felling, the council promised to allow the old stump to regenerate and to plant new trees. Thankfully their promise was kept. However, residents recently noticed that the trees that were planted in 2017 (which had initially thrived) had lost their leaves and now sadly died.
Mowing damage
On closer inspection, the tree deaths appear to be due to bark having been knocked off at the ground level base of the trees. Any tree will die after having the bark stripped off the trunk like this.
In the urban environment, the most likely cause of such tree damage is frequent bangs and cuts from mowing machine activity.
Unfortunately, the original wire tree guards were set too high, obviously so that grass mowers could get close to the tree. This permitted the damage to occur.
Pictures conclude that the wooden stakes also show mowing machine scars, as well as bark damage on the trees themselves.
Regrettably, mowing damage is a common tree death cause, especially in towns. The site of injury is usually the root flare: the area where the tree meets the turf and gets in the path of the mower or trimmer. The root flare, like the rest of the trunk, is protected by bark, which guards a very important plant transport system just behind the woody bark layer. Dedicated tubes move nutrients and water between the roots and leaves to keep the tree alive. Any damage to this transport system can kill a tree.
Above: mowing scars were seen on the wooden tree guard stakes as well as on the base of the trees.
When will they make provisions to ensure that any replacement trees are properly protected from the knocks of mowing machines, via installing ground-level tree guards?
Planted in 2017 and dead in 2019. At the very least, Sefton's policy regarding the protection of saplings obviously needs reviewing because, as this example shows, it is not working.
Clearly, the elevated tree guards that are currently in place were not adequate to protect the bases of the trees from destructive mowing machinery, as they do not reach the ground.
A waste of essential funding.
What is the point of the council planting costly trees to improve the area when the same specimens are destroyed by them a few months later? How many more street trees have suffered a similar fate?
What is the point of the council planting costly trees to improve the area when the same specimens are destroyed by them a few months later? How many more street trees have suffered a similar fate?
See also:
https://www.otsnews.co.uk/council-threatening-mature-ainsdale-tree-with-felling-for-no-good-reason/
NB. The council were contacted about this issue. They replied 2 weeks ago stating that the enquiry would be forwarded to an "appropriate officer or department for a response".
NB. The council were contacted about this issue. They replied 2 weeks ago stating that the enquiry would be forwarded to an "appropriate officer or department for a response".
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