Issue - meetings

This report presents the Council’s Ash Dieback Action Plan and seeks support for its adoption. The Ash Dieback Action Plan sets out a framework for how the Council will manage Ash Dieback on trees within the borough, including removal of trees and replanting.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved (6 for, 1 against, and the Chair not voting) to:

(1)          Agree to adopt the Ash Dieback Action Plan set out at Appendix 2 to the report.

The Committee received a report presenting the Council’s Ash Dieback Action Plan and seeking support for its adoption.

The Committee considered the following matters:

a)            Number of Trees in Borough. In response to a question from a Member, the Tree Officer explained that according to the National Tree Map, there are an estimated 200,000 trees in the borough (unverified). A Member queried as to why there was a discrepancy with the figure listed in the 2023 Tree Management Plan, which states there are an estimated 140,000 trees. The Tree Officer explained that the 200,000 figure had been taken from the most recent iteration of the National Tree Map and was considered to be the more accurate figure.

b)            Error in Report/Recommendation. The Chair informed the Committee that there was an error in the report – the frontpage of the report listed the Ash Dieback Action Plan as being attached as appendix 1 to the report, which was also reflected in the report’s recommendation. He explained that the Ash Dieback Action Plan had in fact been attached to the report as appendix 2 and that the recommendation should read, ‘(1) Agree to adopt the Ash Dieback Action Plan set out in Appendix 2’. This was noted by the Committee.

c)            The Action Plan. The Head of Place Development explained to the Committee that the plan followed a model used successfully by other authorities, chiefly West Sussex’s 2019 plan, and had been peer reviewed and approved as acceptable by Sutton Council.

d)            Costs. The Head of Place Development explained that required funding had not been set out in the plan as it was not possible to predict how much would be required with the current data. 

e)            Timescales. The Head of Place Development explained that different affected trees die at different rates, and it is difficult to predict which ones will die, and when. He informed the Committee frequent inspections will be carried out in order to assess and monitor the health of affected trees.

Councillor Steven McCormick proposed that consideration of the item be deferred to a future meeting of the Committee, to allow for time to hone and formulate greater robustness within the plan and to provide improved clarity with respect to what the Committee is being asked to support.

The proposal was seconded by Councillor Kieran Persand.

The Committee voted (3 for, 4 against, and the Chair not voting) against the proposal.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved (6 for, 1 against, and the Chair not voting) to:

(1)          Agree to adopt the Ash Dieback Action Plan set out at Appendix 2 to the report.