A LARGE tree in Droitwich Spa is being removed after tests revealed it posed a potential safety risk to the public.
Work will start in the next few weeks to cut down the common lime on Greenbank, which at more than 65ft tall, is a noticeable part of the area’s landscape.
A routine survey in April raised concerns about Brittle Cinder Fungus, but ivy and other growth prevented a more detailed investigation.
Once this was cleared, a second inspection confirmed the presence of the fungus, which attacks the trunk and roots of trees. This weakens them from the inside, making them prone to breaking or collapsing.
There is no treatment for this and by the time signs of the fungus are noticeable, trees are already significantly weakened.
In this case, at the time of the second inspection, between 25 per cent and 30 per cent of the tree had been affected and it is likely to have deteriorated further since then.
Specialists recommended removal, but the work was delayed until now because of bird nesting season.
Councillor Beverley Hardman, Wychavon’s executive board member for environment, said: “It’s always sad when we have to remove a mature tree and we try to avoid doing it if we can.
“In this case, the tree will only continue to decline and that poses a significant risk to the people and property of those in the area, so we have no choice but to remove it.
“We will plant a new tree in its place and hopefully near to the site of the existing tree if it’s possible and practical to do so.”
Common limes, with a moderate growth rate, typically grow around 30 to 60cm a year, slowing as they mature.
They can live for several centuries, while a 65ft example is likely decades old and potentially close to or beyond a century, depending on growing conditions.
