Following a survey of 729 trees in Brockwell Park, Lambeth Council is progressing work that will be carried out over the next six months on around 40 trees which are in a declining or dangerous condition. This is to ensure the well-being of existing trees, and ensure the safety of visitors to this much-loved green space.
The trees being worked on are in need of attention because they are dead, dying or seriously damaged because of major fungal infection. The council is prioritising the most urgent public safety work that needs to take place over the next month, which on the current schedule will see two trees felled and seven reduced in height to make them safe, whilst maintaining as much standing dead wood to support wildlife in the park.
This is the felling and reduction work that will take place before the Lambeth Country Show and other events in Brockwell Park. Tree felling is always a last resort, and the work in Brockwell Park has been reviewed by a qualified arboriculturist.
Work on most of the trees in a dangerous condition will take place across the summer to make them safe and to best keep them as wildlife habitats. This work will include reducing their height and pollarding – which involves pruning the upper branches of a tree.
The council always aims to minimise tree maintenance, and only undertakes pruning for safety or legal reasons. The life of all our trees are maximised through careful and sensitive maintenance, and when trees are dying they are also carefully managed to keep them as wildlife habitats where possible.
When tree works take place during bird nesting season the council completes a two-stage checking process, which includes a thorough ground-based assessment and aerial monitoring where needed. If a tree has nesting birds work is delayed until the nesting has finished as required by law. Trees with nests in them may be fenced off for safety reasons in the meantime.
This winter Lambeth Council planted 90 new trees in Brockwell Park, a further 90 more trees at least will be planted in the park next winter. Overall, we planted 1,739 trees this winter in Lambeth, significantly increasing the number of trees in the borough.
