Dracaena Avenue trees to get the chop
10:00am Wednesday 19th September 2012 in News
Dracaena Avenue trees to get the chop
A ROW of poplar trees along Dracaena Avenue will have to be removed in the next ten years before they become a danger to traffic and pedestrians.
The trees, which were planted more than four decades ago, have grown too tall, have become brittle and are likely to start dropping branches onto the road.
Don Martin, Cornwall Council ’s open spaces officer, addressed a meeting of Falmouth Town Council’s finance and general purposes committee on Monday evening.
He said: “These trees stop balls from being kicked into the road, and they screen noise from going into the estates.
“It has always been the plan to take them down, they are brittle, and they threaten to drop limbs onto the highway on a regular basis.
“We would like to come up with a long term strategy of replacement of trees for Dracaena as a whole, both along that line and throughout the park.
“It could work in line with the plans to develop the skate park in the area.”
Mr Martin said replacement trees would be of a native species, possibly horse chestnuts, and would be planted several years before the poplars were removed.
He also asked the council if they would consider working together on the scheme.
Councillor Grenville Chappel, who represents the area on Cornwall Council, told the meeting something had to be done to replace the trees.
He said: “The original plan was to take them out and to just leave holes there, and I do not want to see that.
“We should look at what we can do. There are elections next year and the newly elected councillors should have their highways budget, although knowing Cornwall Council’s finances, maybe not.
“It would be tragic though of they were removed and we were left with holes where they used to be.”
Councillor David Sterratt, chairman of the committee, told Mr Martin he had reservations about paying for a scheme which should be the responsibility of Cornwall Council He added; “The best thing you can do is work up the details of a plan and come back to us.
