PROPOSED TREE WORKS IN THE PLAYING FIELDS

Visitors to the Playing Fields (Ryleys Lane Park) will no doubt have noticed the appearance of some orange fencing over recent days. This is in preparation for some tree works to be undertaken over the course of the next week or so. The proposed works include:

Tree ref. 1518 (near the children's play area) - all primary branches are exhibiting a fungus known as innonotus hispidus (common name "shaggy bracket") and need to be topped back to a pollard point; however, the main trunk shows no sign of decay from ground level to primary furcation and has been assessed as retainable.

Tree ref. 1519 (near to the boundary with the railway line) - branches to be reduced no more than 3m from branch tips to reduce wind load moving, culminating in a reduction of no more than 20% of existing individual branch crown. Tree to be retained, as branches still have the ability to strengthen fibres around areas of dysfunction.

Tree ref. 1621 (adjacent to fence over the railway bridge) - tree has kretzschmaria deusta fungus (common name "brittle cinder") throughout the base and lower trunk. The extent of decay is believed to extend to the primary branches within the tree canopy; therefore this tree is incapable of being retained and must be felled in the interests of public safety.

I would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding in avoiding the immediate area whilst these works are being carried out. Cheshire East Council is responsible for more than 150,000 trees within highways verges alone (not including those in public parks) and therefore the task of assessing their continued vitality and potential risk to public safety is a particularly challenging one.