ABC: more native species call as council considers future tree management after storm 'destroyed' Gosford Forest Park

Alderman Stephen Moutray (DUP, Lurgan DEA) asked: “[Regarding] Storm Éowyn in January, has any assessment been made yet in relation to the costs that council will incur in removing and making right trees within the borough?

“I was in Oxford Island last week and I couldn’t believe just how many trees were lost there, and I know many were lost in other parks and forest parks across the borough. What is the annual budget allocated to tree management?”

Director of Environmental Services & Sustainability, Jonathan Hayes informed him: “It’s £50,000 in annual budget for trees, horticulture, for parks and open spaces.”

Cllr Keith Ratcliffe spoke of his sense of shock upon seeing the devastation caused by the storm at Gosford Forest Park.

The Independent representative for Cusher DEA commented: “Just when we’re discussing the trees that’s been down right across ABC during the storm, one of the worst-hit areas is Gosford Forest Park.

“I went for a run yesterday, and it’s fantastic the amount of work that has been done by the forestry and by the council employees, but I think it would be very helpful if we could invite the forestry and the full council here to give us an update going forward.

“I know there’s going to be no short-term fix for this, but I think there needs to be a plan going ahead, because Gosford has been absolutely destroyed, it really is that bad.”

Forest Service

Cllr Thomas O’Hanlon (SDLP, Armagh DEA) echoed Cllr Ratcliffe’s proposal: “Can I second Cllr Ratcliffe’s request to bring Forest Service in.

“I’ve been approached by a number of people who are involved in forestry, and the suggestion has been about looking at what is actually planted to replace what has fallen, that it’s maybe more native species that is less prone to some of the instances that we’ve seen during the storm.

“So I think it would be useful maybe to have a discussion, that it’s not just a matter of replacing with what’s there, but maybe more native Irish species.”

Alderman Baxter (DUP, Lagan River DEA) expressed grave concerns in relation to ash trees: “I was actually speaking to the Housing Executive a couple of days ago about ash trees and about Ash Dieback. They reckon they’re going to lose 98 per cent of our ash trees over the next 10 or 15 years.

“On the back of what they’re saying about trees and planting native species, have we got a plan in place about Ash Dieback? Are we currently monitoring our ash trees to see if they have to come down?

“Because we’ve seen what one storm can do to some trees, and I think the ash trees they’re dying from the inside out.”

Mr Hayes confirmed the situation was being monitored to some extent: “It is part of our agricultural grounds maintenance team’s work, but at times it can be difficult to identify [dying ash trees] until it’s too late, but certainly they do take an active approach in terms of looking at that across the estate.”

Alderman Gareth Wilson (DUP, Cusher DEA) was concerned about the cost attached to outsourcing tree maintenance: “Just in terms of our ability to respond to tree felling and that type of thing within the council, without going to the contractors how are we equipped for that?

“Is it a policy that we outsource more and is there a reason for that, or is there an ability within the council to carry out that type of work ourselves, and us maybe saving money?”

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The senior council representative replied: “We have three external contractors that would help us do our tree horticultural work, as well as an in-house team.

“I think what we found from the storm, it was unprecedented in relation to the amount of destruction, particularly around the trees and the felling of trees, and therefore the recovery phase was completely unprecedented.

“However we were able to utilise fully the three contractors as well as our own staff, and continue to do that. Trees and the tree maintenance schedules, that is something that we are going to review in relation to our agricultural budget and our tree maintenance programme.”

Alderman Baxter remarked that garden debris and broken branches had led to the brown bins being used more than they would normally be in the winter time: “There was quite a bit of fallen garden debris and branches and twigs and all that type of thing, and I am mindful that the council took a decision that bin collections would be every four weeks throughout the winter, which I think was actually quite successful.

“I gauge these things on the amount of complaints you get, and I think I only had one or two throughout the whole winter.

“But I think since the beginning of March, whenever the grass probably grew a bit quicker with some of the good weather we had, there’s brown bins falling all over the place, and I think in one day I had 12 people alone asking me about brown bin collections in March.

“I think it would be timely just to look at that for next year. It’s too late this year obviously. I know we’re going back to the two-week cycle in April, but I think for next year it would probably be better going back to two weeks from the start of March.”

François Vincent, Local Democracy Reporter