PACKED OUT OSCOTT TREE AND HIGHWAYS MEETING

 

Many thanks to all those Oscott residents who came along to the Oscott Ward Trees and Highways meeting.

At an often emotional meeting a number of residents told of the stress and inconvenience old poorly pruned trees, caused them.
Concerns were raised about the effect of over large trees on residents, health, lung and skin irritation for example. The effect of the trees when it came to poor light, trip hazards, the effects of roots on walls and drive ways.
There were also safety concerns raised, falling branches, to many leaves causing people to slip and so on.

I presented the attending officers with photographs (see above) of how other authorities not tide to a 25 year contract? can do the job.
With the audiences agreement I explained how a phased replacement and heavier tree pruning program was urgently needed.

When I put to the audience there was a need for far heavier pruning as indicated in the photos above there was unanimous agreement.

The senior tree officer attending informed the meeting of the Current tree pruning policy from the Council and Ameys point of view and he felt this was the best way of pruning trees.
 I put to the officer," other officers in other authorities who were presumably as well qualified as he was given the photos presented (see above) must feel differently as did former BCC tree officers who pruned trees more heavenly in the past". The office agreed trees had been pruned differently in Oscott in the past but insisted the way tree were pruned now was better.

My fellow Councillors Councillor Tristan Chatfield and the Chair for the night Councillor Barbara Dring also weighed into the discussion very strongly.
 I was also Pleased Perry Barr MP  Khalid Mahmood who came along was fully in support of his residents and Councillors in regards to this matter. He also informed the meeting he was aware there were more than just the one standard of tree pruning which was being quoted and he to will take up the issue

Everyone at the meeting recognised the need for trees and how much they were needed but called for more of the larger older trees to be either pruned more heavily or replaced by more suitable varieties.


At the meeting I was also asked to present 2 further petitions to the Birmingham City Council which I will pleased to do and Councillor Chatfield with the help of Councillor Dring and my self will try and arrange further meeting on the subject of Tree Pruning and highways concerns latter this year.

I would also like to thank all those officer who attended the meeting.

The battle goes on.........