COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
HEADED ITEM NO. 10
ARBORICULTURAL WORKS PROGRAMME 2010/2011
Report for the Rathfarnham Area Committee meeting 8th February 2011.
1. The works set out in this Arboricultural Programme cover the period November 2010 to March 2011 and will be ongoing until approximately the middle of March 2011. A new Arboricultural programme will be prepared later this year for the 2011 / 2012 season which is expected to commence in November 2011 and will continue until mid-March 2012.
While a limited amount of arboricultural work has been carried out since the start of the season in November 2010, this has been very much curtailed due to :
· The deployment of staff to clean up and remove bonfire material from public parks and open spaces after Halloween 2010
· The severe weather conditions prevailing from the end of November through to Christmas and the consequent deployment of Parks and Landscape Services staff to the clearing of snow from public areas around the county
· The Christmas Tree Recycling Programme, operated from 6th January to 15th January 2011, which required a substantial staff input in terms of collection, shredding and disposal of christmas trees at twenty five official locations around the county as well as from a number of unofficial and discontinued locations.
2. Due to the extent of the established and maturing tree population throughout the area, the Parks Department is giving priority under the this Arboricultural Programme specifically to:
· the maintenance and pruning of existing street trees
· to the thinning and/or removal of shrubberies and woodland planting on open spaces which are locations of anti-social activities and the cause of anxiety and nuisance for the general public.
3. Two Tables are attached which outline the following:
Table 1 RATHFARNHAM: TREE PRUNING/REMOVAL LIST 2010/2011 TO MID-MARCH 2011
Table 2 RATHFARNHAM: COMPLETED TREE PRUNING/REMOVAL LIST 2010/2011
4. Street Tree Pruning and Removals:
Due to the volume of requests that continue to be received it has been decided to concentrate primarily on the pruning of street trees on an estate by estate basis. The reasons for this approach are:
· In identified estates with particularly large problems it is better to deal with all of the trees rather than respond to requests from individual householders. Responding to individual requests inevitably leads to more requests from other residents when the tree maintenance crew arrives on site.
· Due to new Health and Safety standards it is more economic to set up a Health and Safety system (signage, cones, traffic control, etc.) on an estate basis than on an individual tree basis.
Nevertheless, as can be seen from Table 2 below a significant programme of pruning and removal work has already been undertaken that has included dealing with individual tree requests.
Trees are pruned under the street tree pruning programme on a 'need to prune' system based on the following criteria:
· Pruning of lower branches from trees which have the potential to come into contact with pedestrians.
· Pruning of damaged, diseased or dead branches in keeping with good arboricultural practice.
· Pruning of trees in proximity to street lighting, specifically trees that have been brought to our attention by the Elected Members, the general public and the Public Lighting Section.
· Planned removal of street trees in association with the footpath maintenance programme where damage to pavements is arising. This is a significant problem in some areas and can be a contentious issue where some residents are opposed to the removal of trees.
· Removal of dead or diseased trees.
Trees which have to be felled will in the first instance have their branches removed and the main trunk reduced to approximately one metre above ground level. The remaining section of trunk is left in situ thus reducing the risk of a trip hazard until such time as the removal is completed. The removal of the stump and the remaining trunk involves the use of specialised stump grinding equipment and in most cases, the re-instatement of the grass verge. In order to maintain progress with the pruning programme, which is carried out during the dormant season, the portion of the trunk will remain in place until a follow up programme of stump removals commences in spring 2011.
5. Street Tree Planting: It will not be possible to plant any new street or parkland trees in 2011 except in very limited circumstances, e.g. as part of National Tree Week.
Table 1 RATHFARNHAM: TREE PRUNING/REMOVAL LIST 2010/2011 TO MID-MARCH 2011
| ESTATE | TREE LOCATION |
| Carrigwood/Woodlawn Park Estate | Walkway from Firhouse Road to Carrigwood |
| Woodlawn Park | Woodlawn Park Estate |
Table 2 RATHFARNHAM: COMPLETED TREE PRUNING/REMOVAL LIST 2010/2011
| ESTATE | TREE LOCATION |
| 168 Ballyroan Road | 2 Trees Removed |
| Aranleigh Mount | 2 Aranleigh Mount |
| Ashton Avenue | 68 Ashton Avenue |
| Ballyboden Road | Along Ballyboden Road |
| Ballyboden Way | Tree pruning along Ballyboden Way |
| Barton Road Extension | On open space |
| Beverly Court | 48 Beverly Court |
| Castlefield Court | 2 Castlefield Court |
| Castleside Drive | Castleside Drive |
| Crannagh Estate | 20,24, 14,16 Crannagh Estate – trees pruned |
| Darglewood | Rear of 77-80 Dargle Wood trees pruned |
| Glenlyon Court | 8 & 10 Glenlyon Court |
| Idrone | Pruning on open space |
| Kilvere | At entrance to estate – 12 no. trees |
| Knockaire | Knockaire – trees pruned |
| Knocklyon Park | 2 Knocklyon Park |
| Orlagh Grove | Orlagh Grove |
| Orlagh Grove | 25 Orlagh Grove |
| Orlagh Grove | 20 Orlagh Grove |
| Pearse Bros. Park | Tree stumps removed |
| Rathfarnham Wood | 55 & 59 - trees removed |
| Scholarstown Road | 2 no. trees removed and trees pruned |
| Stone Park Abbey | 27 Stone Park Abbey |
| Stone Park Abbey | 8 no. trees @entrance to Estate |
| Stone Park Abbey | 52 Stone Park Abbey |
| Willbrook Estate | 5 no. street trees removed |
| Willbrook Estate | 3 trees on open space pruned |
| Willbrook Estate | 70 Willbrook Estate |
| Willowbank Grove | At entrance to estate – 16 no. trees |
| Willowbank Road | 2 Willowbank Road – dead tree removed |
| Woodlawn Park Avenue | 11 Woodlawn Park Avenue |