Cllr Todd,'Thank you for your emails on this subject. Hounslow Highways manage in excess of 15,000 highway trees across the borough and inspect a third of these each year across a three cycle. Inevitably these surveys, carried out by Hounslow Highways qualified Arborists as well as their subcontractors for trees, PGSD and Tree Associates, would give details of trees in decline (dying), being diseased, or being dead. Subsequently Hounslow Highways at the end of each survey cycle would submit a felling list to the Authority for these trees, sometimes as many as 150-200 each year. Each of these fells are Authorised by the Authority. Any emergency fells following ad hoc inspections are also approved in advance by the Authority, and this tree was authorised on 18 March to be felled at the next available opportunity. The approvals are not given easily and require details on the ill health of the tree and guarantees of replanting positions. It is always sad to have to remove a tree but all removals are given with pubic safety at the forefront of our thought process. During the Storm last month we unfortunately lost 90 trees but a lot of our tree stock was compromised because of the winds leading to extra inspections being carried out on trees of concern, including these trees.In 2019 these trees were identified in their last full detailed survey as ‘dying’ and in slow decline. It was recommended that Hounslow Highways closely monitor each year thereafter. The tree outside Prebend Mansions were pre-inspected in early March following the storm in advance of a full inspection later in the year and that initial inspection found that the tree had deteriorated quicker than expected (dead in over 50% of the crown) and therefore posed a risk to the highway and highway users. The recommended action was a removal and replant of a similar species as close to the original site as possible.There is and was no link to the works for the Cycleway. On our approved to fell, I had a specifically asked for some Communications to go out before the fell which didn’t occur and this is an improvement I will require from Hounslow Highways for all future fells where the locations are sensitive or for fells of very mature trees, like this one. However to put out communications for all fells may be difficult.'
John Todd ● 1639d