COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

QUESTION NO. 19

QUESTION: Councillor P. Gogarty

"To ask the Chief Executive to report on all tree cutting, pruning and planting projects that will definitely be completed by Spring 2018; and if a statement can be made on the matter?"

REPLY:

The Council's 3-year Tree Maintenance Programme 2017-2019 was presented at the March meeting of the Lucan Area Committee this year.  In line with the Council's Tree Management Policy 2015-2020 "Living With Trees", the focus of all future Tree Maintenance Programmes is on entire roads or whole estates.  The programme for 2017 includes a small number of estates and roads carried over from the 2016 Tree Maintenance Programme. These locations have been prioritised for completion during the course of the year.  

Since March, tree surveys have been carried out and a subsequent programme of tree pruning and removal works has been completed on all trees that were identified as requiring works at the following estates:  Abbeywood, Ballyowen, Cherbury Park, Elmbrook and Ardeevin. 

There are a number of locations, including some remaining trees at Ardeevin estate and trees at Palmerstown Avenue and Culmore Road, where the trees are in close proximity or in conflict with overhead electricity wires.  In these locations, the planned tree maintenance works require to be undertaken by an ESB approved arborist suitably qualified in the specialist skills of utility arboriculture.  The Council has a tender currently advertised to seek the services of a suitably qualified arboricultural contractor to undertake remedial tree works at a number of locations including the above where trees are in close proximity to electricity wires. Having regard to compliance with required timelines for the procurement process, it is envisaged that implementation of the tree pruning and removal works at these locations will be carried out in December 2017/January 2018. 

Tree surveys have been carried out to inform the planned programme of tree maintenance works at the following estates: Airlie Heights, Esker Lane, Hermitage Park estate, Hillcrest, Palmerstown Court, Woodview  Heights and Woodville.  The Council's tree maintenance crew are currently carrying out tree removals at Woodview estate in Lucan and will continue to progress through the programme of tree works identified for the above locations over the coming months.  A tree survey of trees at Mount Andrew estate is scheduled to be carried out over the coming weeks to inform the planned programme of tree maintenance works in that estate. 

Planned maintenance works on trees on the open space at Riversdale estate and in Willsbrook Park will be carried out over the forthcoming winter/spring 2018 period. 

A full report on the 2017 Tree Maintenance Programme will be presented at each of the December meetings of the Area Committees.

In regard to tree planting, 116 trees are scheduled for planting in the Lucan and Palmerstown areas during November 2017 in fulfilment of tree planting commitments outstanding from the winter 2016/spring 2017 tree planting programme.  As previously explained, this programme was planned for delivery in two phases with the first phase completed in December 2016 and the second phase planned for delivery in February/March 2017.  The procurement process for the supply and planting of the second phase of tree planting was completed and the contract to undertake the works was awarded in March.  However, the Council was advised by the supplying tree nursery that survival of the trees could not be guaranteed due to early emergence of leaves and leaf growth of the trees being at a more advanced stage than normal for the year due the exceptionally mild weather of last winter and the early spring period.  For this reason, the proposed completion of winter 2016/spring 2017 tree planting  was deferred for implementation at the earliest opportunity during the forthcoming planting season in November.

A further 140 trees are scheduled for planting in the Lucan and Palmerstown areas as part of the winter 2017/spring 2018 tree planting programme as presented at the June meeting of this Area Committee earlier this year.  The tender for delivery of this tree planting programme is due to be advertised during the current week.

The 2017 Participatory Budget initiative made provision for native apple tree planting in the Lucan electoral area. A number of locations are under consideration for possible community orchards and local liaison will be initiated over the coming weeks to progress this project and implement planting of the apple trees during the winter 2017 period.