Reply - Q5 - Living with Trees

COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

QUESTION NO. 5

QUESTION: Councillor G. O'Connell

"To ask the Chief Executive for a report on the Living with Trees policy as applied to the Palmerstown Area and specifically:

1. Names of the variety of mature trees on all roads/estates in Palmerstown.

2. Number of trees / locations of trees being cut down/removed - and reasons why?

3. Number / location and variety of new trees being planted.

4. A schedule for planting"

REPLY:

In line with the Council's Tree Management Policy 2015-2020 "Living With Trees", the focus of the Council's Tree Maintenance Programme is 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 programme of maintenance. The objective of this approach is to increase the efficiency and productivity of the tree maintenance crews and to advance a proactive programme of cyclical pruning that is targeted at priority locations where intervention is most needed.

In the context of the above, Culmore Road, Palmerstown Avenue and Palmerstown Court are currently scheduled for Tree Maintenance works as part of the 2018 whole estate Tree Maintenance Programme. In advance of works being carried out at Culmore Road, Palmerstown Avenue and Palmerstown Court a full survey of all trees has been undertaken to determine the extent of the requirement for tree maintenance.

In regard to the varieties of mature trees in Palmerstown, the list includes a range of tree species. As complete tree surveys of roads and estates are being carried out in advance of planned maintenance, not all of the estates and roads have yet been surveyed but in general the range of tree species in the Palmerstown area includes a selection of the following:Acer platanoides sp. (Norway maple), Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' (purple leaf plum), Sorbus sp. (mountain ash), Malus sp. (flowering crab apple).

The Council's Tree Management Policy 2015-2020 "Living With Trees", Section 4.3.4.sets out the Council's policy in regard to removal of trees. Trees are removed only when necessary as a last resort. The criteria for tree removal are:

The tree is dead, dying or is considered hazardous due to its poor structural or biological condition. Hazardous conditions may exist above and/or below ground and may include significant root, trunk or crown decay, split trunks and crotches, and large dead limbs.
The tree has declined beyond the point of recovery and is no longer meeting the functional or aesthetic requirements of a street tree. Typically, a tree with 30 percent or less of its foliage remaining would meet this criterion.
Fatally diseased trees (eg. Ash dieback, Fireblight Disease) may be removed before they reach the primary threshold in order to prevent the spread of disease to healthy trees.
To allow space for development of nearby trees that may be more desirable for retention
To allow space for new planting
To make way for any approved engineering or building works when unavoidable construction work will immediately compromise the stability or viability of the tree.
Tree proven to be causing significant structural damage that cannot be reasonably addressed by an alternative solution and proactive tree management has had no mitigating effect.
To abate actionable nuisance
The trunk of the tree is within 2m of a public lighting column and the long term viability of the tree if retained in its location would be compromised by a requirement for ongoing maintenance in order to maintain the effectiveness of the adjoining street light.

In response to the numbers of new trees being planted, approx. 110 trees were planted in roadside margins and open space areas in the Palmerstown area over the past year. Planting locations included Kennelsfort Road, Manor Road, Palmerstown Avenue, Palmerstown Drive, Riversdale Green, Turret Road, The Oval, Culmore Road, Culmore Park, Glenaulin Road and Waterstown Park. Tree species planted include Acer campestre ‘Red Shine’, Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Spathii’, Corylus colurna, Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’, Amelanchier lamarackii, Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’, Quercus robur, and Malus species.

The tree planting programme for winter 2018/spring 2019 is being compiled in response to requests from residents, elected members and observations and surveys by Council staff and this programme will be presented to the Lucan ACM and published on the Council's website in the forthcoming autumn.