COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN, NEWCASTLE, RATHCOOLE, SAGGART AND BRITTAS AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

MOTION NO. 6

MOTION: Councillor T. Gilligan

That this Area Committee agrees to prune the trees that are taller than the houses in Castle Grange, please provide a timeline.

REPORT:

Castle Grange estate is listed on the Council approved 2026-2028 Tree Maintenance Programme. In advance of any works being carried out, a full survey of all trees will be undertaken by an independent arborist to determine the extent of the requirement for tree maintenance. Arising from the survey, any works considered necessary will be noted and scheduled accordingly.  

As outlined on the Council’s Tree Management Policy ‘Living with Trees’ 2026 - 2031 the Council maintains trees in public spaces, including streets, parks, and open areas, in accordance with recognised industry standards, including BS 3998: 2010 – Tree Work – Recommendations.

 Section 5.16 refers to Trees Considered Too Large as follows: The Council will not prune or fell a Council owned/managed tree because it is considered ‘too big’ or ‘too tall’. Residents may sometimes feel apprehensive about the size of a tree and perceive it as dangerous. However, trees are not inherently dangerous simply because they are tall, appear large for their surroundings, or move in the wind. Tree movement during high winds is a natural and important adaptation that helps them withstand strong gusts. For a tree to be considered dangerous, there would need to be clear evidence of structural or health related issues.

 Section 3.4 refers to Topping of Trees as follows: The Council will avoid undertaking certain types of actions should there be evidence to suggest it may cause more harm than good. Topping of trees (reduction in height) causes large wounds, exposing trees to decay pathogens and causing their long-term decline, as well as being unsightly and potentially unsafe. Topping is therefore only considered where trees have serious defects, that cannot be reasonably addressed otherwise, and their short-term retention is essential or highly desirable.

It is often the view of residents that removing the crown or ‘topping’ a tree or trees will improve light levels or views or improve reception to TVs, satellites etc. While this may be true in the short term, any pruning, but especially ‘topping’, will cause decline in some species or rapid growth in others. Regrowth resulting from ‘topping’ will often be denser than the original crown and be weakly attached to the branches it develops from. Wounds associated with topping are often large and are more likely to be colonised by wood decaying fungi. ‘Topping’ is not good practice and can lead to dangerous trees in the future. For these reasons the Council will not ‘top’ trees.