by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
A mature tree at a busy Dorchester road junction will have to be felled after council works made it unsafe.
Councillor for the area, Les Fry, says that while he understands the decision the loss of the Lime tree is a “sad waste” and “deeply disappointing.”
He says that because Dorset Council has declared a nature and climate emergency with policies to protect trees it make the situation worse.
Cllr Fry, an independent, has questioned why, when work was being carried out around the tree roots, that it was not carried out by hand to minimise the damage.
“I know that Dorset Council has been critical of others for not digging close to trees by hand before so why do we not do as we say?” he said.
The councillor was alerted to the potential problem for the tree, the largest of a group, by a resident living near the Queens Avenue and Clarence Road junction.
Dorset Council has said that it is sorry the tree roots were damaged, despite using what it describes as “specialist equipment”, and has promised that it will be replaced.
The junction has been partially closed since before the Easter break with traffic lights in place while the work is being carried out. The council needed to wait until the school holidays, for safety reasons, to make a start on the project.
The problem arose while preparing for a new pedestrian crossing for pupils for the nearby Dorchester Middle School and Thomas Hardye Schools.
Said a statement from Dorset Council: “As part of these preparations, electricity cables needed to be lowered underground. During these works, carried out over the Easter break, a trenching route had to be adjusted around one of the Lime trees to avoid a gas main.
“Unfortunately, despite using special equipment designed to minimise disturbance, the tree’s roots were damaged during the work. Following professional arboricultural advice, we have been informed that the tree is no longer structurally sound and, very regrettably, will need to be removed to ensure public safety.
“We are very sorry that this work has led to the loss of this tree, which we will replace. We are working closely with specialists to agree the most appropriate and sensitive way forward to ensure this loss is mitigated at the earliest opportunity.”
