Last year whilst working on the footpath by the Derby Rd pinch point it was noticed by Gill Vooght that the adjacent Lime tree was severely rotten at its base.
As I had volunteered to keep an eye on all things 'Trees and Verges' in the road on behalf of the Derby Rd Fund, I felt obliged to get the tree and one other near #16 checked out by the council's tree specialist. The outcome was that it was deemed appropriate on safety grounds that the two trees be felled .
We aquired 4 quotes from local tree specialists and eventually chose Mark Ward of Arum Tree services to do the work. Tree Preservation orders are relevant to many of Derby Roads trees, but for some reason not all. For example the tree near the Pinch point is registered as TPO 26, but the other tree near #16 had no TPO binding to it. Households should bear in mind that any work on a tree has to be agreed by the council.{ Sarah.Hanson@reading.gov.uk tel 01189 372 440 } TPO permission to fell the tree(s) was sought from Sarah Hanson of the council's planning department and after a site inspection was duly granted.
As you may have noticed the trees were recently felled and the stumps were ground out on February 5th. The grindings are left to decay in the space left by the stump. I will tidy them up a bit as and when necessarry.
The tree adjacent to the Pinch point will be replaced in due course by a new young Lime (Tilia) tree , but the other tree near #16 will not be replaced as there is a large fir tree very nearby that takes its light and water, thus rendering it unlikely to thrive. If anyone in our community would like some of the timber from the trees for fire wood I , had it dropped off at my property, #25. phone me on 07973 893774 to arrange collection. (It needs to dry for at least 12 months before burning) and needs splitting down to size. Jamie Harcourt, 25 Derby Rd.