COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

HEADED ITEM NO. 16

Report on 2016 Tree Maintenance programme 

During 2016, the Council has had two full-time tree maintenance crews carrying out works, one operating primarily in areas north of the N7 and the other operating primarily in areas south of the N7.

In the period January – December 2016, tree maintenance involving tree pruning and removal, was carried out on just over 2,200 trees across the county. This figure includes tree maintenance works completed on over 500 trees in the Lucan and Palmerstown areas.

In line with the Council's Tree Management Policy 2015-2020 "Living With Trees", the focus of the 2016 Tree Maintenance Programme has been on entire roads or whole estates. This represents a move away from reactive pruning of individual trees on a one off basis to a planned maintenance programme. The objective of this approach is to increase the efficiency and productivity of the tree maintenance crews and advance a proactive programme of cyclical pruning targeting priority locations where intervention is most needed and where it will yield greatest community benefit.

In addition to the planned whole estate and road programme, reactive and emergency works are carried out on individually located trees as necessary in order to manage risks to the public. If a tree is identified as posing an immediate and present danger action will be taken to make the tree safe. Emergency works are also carried out where a tree is rendered hazardous as a result of severe weather conditions. An emergency is defined as a tree that is in immediate danger of collapse or causing an obstruction requiring urgent attention. Emergency and reactive tree works will normally take priority over the planned programme of tree maintenance works in estates and it must be recognised that there is consequent impact on progress with the planned programme. In the Lucan Area, emergency and reactive tree works were carried out on c.150 no. trees during 2016.

The following is a list of estates in the Lucan Area where a complete programme of tree maintenance involving removal or pruning of all trees that were identified as requiring works was carried out during 2016. In advance of commencing works within an estate or road, a full survey of all trees at the location is carried out to inform the programme and scheduling of tree pruning and removal works for all trees in the estate or road that are identified as requiring tree maintenance.

There are a small number of estates which were listed on the 2016 Tree Maintenance Programme where works remain outstanding for completion. These estates have been carried forward to the 2017 Tree Maintenance Programme and are being prioritised for completion as part of the ongoing programme of work.

 

Whole Estates Completed During 2016

 

Estate / Road	Status
Airlie Heights	Crown lifting completed
Ardeevin	Tree survey complete
Ballyowen Estate	Tree survey complete
Kew Park	Works Complete
Liffey Estate	Works Complete
Woodfarm Acres - The Coppice	Crown lifting completed
Woodville	Crown lifting completed
Woodview Heights	Crown lifting completed