Borough Council draws up plans to fell Redditch's new town poplar trees - The Redditch Standard

Borough Council draws up plans to fell Redditch's new town poplar trees

Redditch Editorial 8th Jan, 2019   0

SOME of Redditch’s new town era trees that have reached the end of their lives are to be removed later this month.

Redditch has an estimated three million trees many in areas of woodland where all the trees were planted at the same time during the ‘new town’ expansion.

As a result many are starting to die off at the same time, and must be managed accordingly by the borough council.

The authority has a woodland management plan and as part of this a 200 metre roadside section of poplars between industrial units at the south end of Matchborough Way is to be felled.




The trees are now older than their expected lifespan of about 50 years and have started to decline.

As a result they will be felled, while the Norway Maple trees that are already starting to colonise the site will be encouraged to grow, promoting a natural and sustainable regeneration of the area for future generations.


“Nobody likes to see trees felled especially if they don’t know the reason for it,” said Councillor Brandon Clayton, the borough’s portfolio holder for environmental services.

“Basically when you plant a hundred poplars, in 50 years you’ve got to sort out a hundred poplars as they all die off at the same time and potentially become unsafe.

“Obviously it’s not done like that anymore, as woodland management techniques have changed, but as it stands this remains an essential part of the ongoing work we do to maintain Redditch’s amazing woodlands.”

The work, where Matchborough Way meets Icknield Street Drive, is expected to start on January 28 and take at least two or three weeks.

While the woodland area will be significantly disrupted for the duration, disruption to the road is expected to be limited to one week of a single lane closure with traffic lights, from January 28.

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