80ft treees woe taken seriously after 20 years (From Malvern Gazette)
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80ft treees woe taken seriously after 20 years
5:20pm Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News By Robert Hale
80FT TREES: Concerned residents of Somers Road, from left, are John Dixon, brother and sister Simon and Sarah Oddy, and Neil Mackenzie. Picture by Nick Toogood. 0913255002.
RESIDENTS who fear giant trees are endangering their homes are pleased authorities are taking their worries seriously.
People living in Somers Road, Malvern Link, have been complaining for years that trees at Osborne Court, a care clinic operated by Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, need to be severely cut back.
They say the trees, some of which are 80 feet high, could shed large limbs or even fall over in windy or snowy weather.
They applied last July to Malvern Hills District Council to substantially reduce the size of the 13 main trees on the site. But the council responded by imposing a provisional tree protection order on the trees, described as “high value”.
Last week, members of the council’s southern area development control committee confirmed the protection order, but included in its decision recommendations from a tree inspection ordered by NHS trust that owns the site.
These included removing ivy and dead wood on the trees, making a close inspection of one of them and continuing to keep a careful eye on the site.
Sarah Oddy, the residents’ spokeswoman, said: “We were initially very disappointed with the confirmation of the TPO at last Wednesday’s meeting. However, on reflection we now see the overall outcome more positively.
“For more than 20 years individual residents have requested the NHS Trust to acknowledge responsibility for the care and maintenance of the trees but to no avail.
“Although the NHS-funded report falls short of our aims, it does recommend some immediate work with a full inspection and report within three months. Importantly councillors and the Malvern Hills landscape officer recognised the work should be carried out as soon as possible. Councillors agreed that they would continue to review the situation.
“At last the NHS Trust have recognised their responsibility for the trees, but residents will continue to press for much-needed height reductions to make them safer.”
The Trust this week said it is awaiting permission from the council to carry out maintenance to the trees.
