Council responds to tree felling criticism

FINGAL County Council has moved to explain why it felled trees in a popular Northside park, angering local residents. 

The council said eight trees had to be cut down at Santry Demesne on safety grounds following “detailed investigation by a number of suitably qualified staff”.

Two more dead beech trees, located near the ‘Temple’ area of the park, will be removed in the coming weeks.

The trees were removed from high traffic areas of the park where, according to the council, they posed a particular risk to visitors. 

“The trees that were felled in the vicinity of Northwood Lake had been compromised by a particularly nasty decay fungus, Kretzchmaria deusta, which reduces the strength of the wood and renders the remaining tree brittle and prone to sudden and unpredictable failure,” said a council spokeswoman. 

“Indeed, it was the sudden failure of one of these Lime trees late last year that led to the detailed investigation of the nearby trees.  

“Core samples were taken which revealed significant cavities in each tree and that the remaining timber had lost significant strength.” 

Gerry Cooley, a member of Santry Community Association, questioned whether the council had permission to fell the trees. 

Mr Cooley, who was involved in the Save Santry Woods campaign in the mid-1990s, cited a Tree Preservation Order, dating back to 1986, to stop trees in the park from being felled. 

When this point was put to the council it said it did have permission to fell the trees. 

“Fingal (County Council) also has a significant duty of care towards park users and is obliged to act in the interests of safety in situations like this,” the spokeswoman said. 

”A Tree Preservation Order was indeed made covering the trees in the demesne in the 1980s but since then the trees in question have declined significantly and become hazardous.  

“As trees are living things and their condition can deteriorate over time, it is considered appropriate by the courts that orders should be regularly remade to ensure their continued protection remains in the interest of the environment or amenity.  

“It would not be considered appropriate to make a Protection Order on a dangerous or hazardous tree.  

“Once the park was completed and trees came into public ownership, it was considered that they were no longer under threat from developmental pressures and are subject to proper and appropriate management, so the 30-year-old order was not remade.”

Mr Cooley, who lives in nearby Santry Close, pointed out that if the trees had to be felled for safety reasons “we would have no problem with that”.

However, he said it was disappointing that there was no prior consultation with the residents and Santry Community Association who were “instrumental in getting the park in the first place”.

“If we are going to deal with this in a mature way, it’s important that we meet with the council on a regular basis,” he told Northside People. 

The council said it is always more than happy to meet with community associations and representative groups.

Meanwhile, Mr Cooley said the residents were now looking for a comprehensive replanting plan, which the council confirmed would take place. 

“Fingal’s adopted tree policy requires at least one tree to be planted for each (one) that is felled, whereas in fact many more are planted annually than are removed,” the spokeswoman stated.  

“It is felt that this is an opportunity to plant some good quality specimen trees in this high profile location that will contribute to the amenity and biodiversity of the park for the next couple of hundred years.  

“Specimens will be chosen for their aesthetic and wildlife value but also to be consistent and in keeping with the 18th century demesne landscape.”