COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

MOTION NO. 16

MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell

That the Manager has all the roadside trees across the residential areas of Palmerstown examined and a report brought to this Committee before the next planting season showing how the Council intends to deal with those trees that are clearly unfit for purpose, e.g. some motorists have to “raise up” branches in  order to get cars in and out of their driveways; pedestrians on many footpaths cannot use umbrellas; some trees block out sunlight from houses; other trees overshadow front gardens killing plant life and promoting moss; other trees drip sap onto parked cars and driveways; some trees have fruit (pears and cherries) that is both a danger underfoot for pedestrians and are being pelted by vandals at nearby homes. The general consensus across the community is that many of these trees are not suitable for an urban environment, would be fine in a park and that they have been let “get out of hand” to the point where pruning may not be the answer.

REPORT:

The Arboricultural Works Programme for 2010/2011 is currently under preparation and will be presented to the Elected Members following the adoption of the 2011 Estimates.

In preparing the 2009/2010 Arboricultural Programme, priority was given to tree pruning and removal on an estate by estate basis rather than on an individual tree basis.  While this approach has proved to be efficient and effective in making the best use of the available resources, it did mean that some areas had to be prioritised over others.  It is intended to use the same approach again this year.

The street trees in the housing estates of Palmerstown area were planted over time by a combination of the developers of the estates, Dublin Corporation (in some areas prior to 1986 boundary changes), the County Council and in some cases, local residents. It has been the experience of the Council that where street trees were originally planted by developers / residents, that unsuitable and inappropriate trees species were often planted which are now giving rise to a range of problems such as those highlighted in the motion.  Where the council has been directly involved in the selection of trees for roadside planting, as far as possible, species which are known to cause difficulties have been avoided. Trees have been selected on the basis of a range of factors including suitability (size of tree, size of margin), amenity (flowers / autumn colour), absence of conspicuous fruit or sterile forms, resistance to pests and disease and so on.

A significant number of tree queries are received each year, from a range of sources including the general public, Resident's Associations, Elected Public Representatives, other Council Departments and outside agencies such as Dublin Bus and An Garda Síochana. These are in addition to trees identified by our own staff as being in need of work. It is intended to prepare a targeted programme of tree works for the forthcoming season, with trees most in need of remedial works prioritised for action on the following basis:

In keeping with good arboricultural practice, trees will be removed where they are diseased, dying or dead.  Where trees are causing an obstruction to streetlights they will either be pruned or removed, depending on the particular circumstances.  Pruning is also undertaken where trees are causing an obstruction to passing pedestrians or vehicles. This includes dealing with trees associated with footpath problems. Request for tree pruning/removal are always inspected and any decision on the course of action is determined by the merits of the individual tree in question. Removal of the tree is generally the last option and all other possible options will be considered first.

It should be noted that the list of estates being considered for inclusion in the 2010/2011 programme is large and it will not be possible to include every estate.  The programme of works to be undertaken will be as extensive as the Council's resources and financial capacity will permit in the current economic climate. It is therefore intended to prioritise the work on an estate by estate basis, based on tree management principles and good arboricultural practice.  Individual trees  will only be included where works are required as a matter of urgency in the interests of public safety.

Where residents have concerns in relation to trees, they are advised in the first instance to make contact with the Parks Department so that the details of the tree can be taken and arrangements made to inspect the tree. The inspection will determine what works, if any, are required. The inspection will also determine the priority of any works considered to be necessary, based on the criteria outlined above.