COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

MOTION NO. 4

MOTION: Councillor P. Gogarty

That this Area Committee requests the Chief Executive report on what actions have been taken to speed up the delay in tree pruning, planting and removals built up over the last number of years in our electoral area, to outline whether a significantly increased budget request will be made this year and to agree to ramp up estates where trees are blocking street lights such as in Foxford, Lucan, liasing with the transportation section to schedule in repairs to kerbs damaged by tree roots; and if a statement can be made on the matter.

 

REPORT:

In recent years, the Council has implemented a number of actions to enhance delivery of its tree planting and maintenance services as follows: 

  1. Development and publishing of a 5-year 2015-2020  tree maintenance policy to provide a clear and consistent basis for decision making in the management of trees.
  2. Advancement of a ‘whole estate’ planned approach to tree maintenance as opposed to a reactive programme based on individually located trees with the objective of increasing the efficiency of tree crews and targeting priority locations where a requirement for intervention has been identified.
  3. Establishment of two full-time tree maintenance crews operating year round with additional seasonal crews being deployed during the winter period where previously tree maintenance work was carried out primarily by seasonal crews during winter.
  4. Installation of a tree management software system as a key tool in the management of inspection and maintenane records for the county’s street tree population.
  5. Inspections of tree maintenance requests and advance inspections of whole estates to inform scheduling of works are being carried out.
  6. Previously long-standing legacy commitments for tree maintenance were captured and addressed as part of the tree maintenance programmes for 2015 and 2016.
  7. A 3 year rolling programme of tree maintenance for 2017-2019 has been developed and is in progress enabling a more strategic and planned approach to street tree maintenance.
  8. In advance of commencing a planned programme of works within a location, a detailed listing of the proposed works is made available for public view on the Tree Management pages of the Council's website www.sdcc.ie.
  9. In 2018, procurement processes have been completed and mechanisms established to engage suitably qualified arboricultural contractors to carry out works as required on trees in conflict with overhead electricity wires and on high risk trees.
  10. Committment to new and replacment tree planting has been renewed across the county with dedicated budgetary provision for planting 1,000 trees each year in 2017 and 2018.

The Council's budget for 2019 is currently in preparation and details of provision for tree planting and management will be available in due course.

The Council's Public Realm - Tree Management section is in regular and routine liaison withe the Council's Public Lighting and Roads Maintenance sections in regard to footpath repairs and street lighting.  In addition to the planned programme of tree maintenance 2017-2019, reactive and emergency works continue to be carried out on individually located trees as necessary in order to manage risks to the public.