65 trees to be removed in Hampshire because of ash dieback disease
They're all located in Wicor Copse near Portchester
Around 65 trees are being removed in Hampshire this month, after becoming infected with ash dieback disease.
They're all located in Wicor Copse near Portchester. Hampshire County Council’s Countryside Service will carry out the work.
Executive Member for Recreation, Heritage, Countryside and Rural Affairs, Councillor Edward Heron, said:
“Ash dieback was first confirmed in Hampshire in 2014 and we know that, sadly, it is spreading to the ash trees commonly found across the county. Once an ash tree is infected, this disease can spread extremely quickly, weakening these trees and causing their branches to fall.
“Removing a tree is always a difficult decision to make and the last thing we would want to do, but when dead and dying ash trees pose a safety risk should their branches or the entire tree fall, it is crucial that we act swiftly to remove them to help keep the local community safe”.
The County Council continually monitors the spread of ash dieback disease on a site-by-site basis across Hampshire's local countryside, roads, and the buildings the County Council manages such as maintained schools.
The approximately 65 diseased ash trees in Wicor Copse have been identified through this ongoing monitoring – several of which stand alongside residential properties. The dieback has progressed to around 20% of each infected tree’s branches and branch tips, or crown.
The removal of the diseased ash trees is expected to begin around the end of this month and will take approximately one week to complete.
Hampshire Countryside Service has sent letters with further information to residents who live in the immediate area.
Councillor Heron continued: “The work will take place between 9am and 4pm each day and local visitors will still be able to access unaffected parts of the Copse while the trees are being removed.
"After the removal has been completed, our Countryside Service will replant with native scrub and shrub species, which are better suited to the areas’ proximity to housing. These plants will also provide shelter and food for local wildlife once they are established.”
In addition to controlling the spread of ash dieback in Hampshire, the County Council is also planting trees as part of a wider approach to tackling climate change.
Councillor Jan Warwick, Hampshire County Council’s Climate Change Advisor to the Executive, said:
“The County Council has set a target for Hampshire to be carbon neutral by 2050 and our natural environment is just one of several key sectors we are focusing on to reduce carbon emissions and build resilience across the county.
"Over the next 30 years, the County Council will use its own land to plant additional trees and other green infrastructure to extend and enhance existing woodland sites and create a countywide community forest.
"We have set a target of planting one million trees by 2050 and will seek specialist advice to ensure that species planted are appropriate, in the right locations, and as resilient as possible to future climate conditions as well as pests and diseases.”
Ash dieback is a disease caused by a fungus called Hymenoscyphus fraxinea, previously known as Chalara fraxinea, and is of eastern Asian origin.
The disease causes leaf loss and crown dieback in affected trees and will in most cases lead to tree death, particularly in younger trees.
You can find further information about ash dieback, including how to identify and report it, can be found on the County Council’s website