Diseased trees get the chop!

Pupils help planting as dozens are felled

CLIMATE change and dog fighting have been blamed for the loss of dozens of trees in Oldham.

The latest to be felled by Oldham Council are eight diseased and vandalised horse chestnut trees in Shaw.

The trees — near Matthias Pilling House in Crompton Way — were recently found to be afflicted with a disease known as phytophthora.

The condition, which experts believe is linked to climate change, has already seen around 100 trees lost across the borough — principally in Alexandra Park.

The problem appears to have been exacerbated by the trees being used to train dangerous dogs, which are encouraged to strengthen their jaws by jumping up to attack tree bark.

The practice, which has also seen several trees lost in Kings Road, opposite Alexandra Park, accelerated the disease and made the death of the trees certain over the winter.

However, staff from Oldham Council’s Parks team have now joined forces with pupils from Beal Vale Primary School to plant replacement aspens at the Crompton Way site.

Councillor John Dillon, chairman of the Royton, Shaw and Crompton District Partnership, said: “It’s always disappointing when we have to act to fell beautiful trees like this but we had no other choice.

“It’s council policy that diseased or dangerous trees must be felled and replaced if there is no active form of control available, as they can clearly become a danger to the public.

“These trees had phytophthora, which we believe is potentially exacerbated by climate change. The disease isn’t new but it has become more prominent in milder and wetter winters and we’ve lost quite a few horse chestnut trees through this.

“Unfortunately, the use of the trees to sharpen a dog’s attacking instincts — which is vandalism — resulted in large areas of bark being removed and meant the spiral of decline was irreversible.

“Our staff work hard throughout the year to maintain a healthy tree stock across the borough.

“Over the last few years hundreds of trees have been affected by diseases ranging from Dutch Elm disease to venturia, which has almost wiped out the Manchester poplar, with more than 700 trees having to be removed.

“It is Oldham Council’s intention to replace as many of these as possible in the coming years.

“I am delighted to have joined the Beal Vale pupils to help plant replacements which we hope will be allowed to develop into mature trees.”

Anyone who spots a tree they think displays signs of disease should report it to Nik Anderson, Parks department, on 0161- 770 4066.