Work was due to start today on the felling of 20 diseased trees at Wollaton Park following safety fears.
Nottingham City Council says that a recent survey of the trees in Lime Tree Avenue in the park has identified that 20 trees urgently need replacing because they are dying or diseased.
Civic officials say the work needs to be done in the interests of public safety in a bid to reduce the risk of branches falling on passing pedestrians and vehicles.
The survey, conducted last month by experienced arboriculturalists, has found a further number of trees are also suffering from disease and decay but to a lesser degree.
The avenue also provides vehicle and pedestrian access to the park.
The council says the number of trees to be felled is being kept to an absolute minimum and the initial tree work forms the start of an ongoing programme to deal with dying or diseased trees within the avenue.
As part of this programme, the council aims to regenerate the avenue by replanting new lime trees along its line.
The affected trees may provide habitats for both bats and birds, and, in order to minimise any impact on the local ecosystem, the city council’s tree service will be working with a qualified ecologist throughout the works.
The local authority says initial tree work starting on Monday will be completed in time for Splendour Festival this Saturday, when thousands of festival goers will be on site at Wollaton Park to enjoy The Specials, James, Nottingham singer Indiana and other artists.
Councillor David Trimble, the city council’s portfolio holder for leisure and culture, said “It is always sad to see historic trees felled but we must prioritise public safety, and the 20 trees identified for felling are heavily diseased and cannot be saved.
“We are ensuring that the number of trees felled is kept to an absolute minimum and we will be planting new trees to replace them, helping to conserve this historically important avenue for future generations to enjoy.”
