Introduction

The Council is seeking the views of residents about the future of the Plane trees in Melrose Gardens.   

Why?

A number of residents have complained that the London Plane trees have grown too big and are now a nuisance. The main problems mentioned are: excessive leaf fall, the lack of day light to houses, encroaching branches and leaves blocking gutters. 

Proposals

The Council believes that, in the circumstances, the best option is to re-introduce traditional pollarding. This will mean that the Plane trees will be cut back to their original size and then re-pollarded every three years. If the proposal is adopted, the Council will further consult residents within six years on whether to continue with pollarding or to replace all the trees with an alternative species. This will give residents time to judge the success or otherwise of pollarding before deciding about further changes.  

What is pollarding?

Pollarding is the traditional pruning method used when the Plane trees were originally planted in the streets. It involves regularly cutting back all growth to the same point on a compact framework of branches. Pollarded trees develop a small, dense “lollipop” crown. The Planes trees in Melrose Gardens used to be maintained like this and the old “pollard points” can still be seen if you look at the trees carefully. The practice was gradually discontinued during the 1950’s and 1960’s.   

How different will they look? 

Please see the attachments on the start page. The two photographs were both taken in mid-November and from similar distances. They should help give you an idea of the difference between a pollarded tree and a conventionally pruned tree.

The first photograph shows an example of a tree pollarded two years ago. Immediately after pollarding, the tree’s height is about level with the 2nd floor of the house. The crown is compact but the new growth is dense and vigorous and directly in front of the 1st and 2nd floor windows. They will always appear truncated, especially in winter and immediately after pollarding.

The second photograph shows an example of a tree pruned two years ago in the present manner. Immediately after pruning, a tree’s height is typically just over roof level. The framework of main branches holds the large open crown above the houses and road. This gives a more natural appearance but shades more of the street in summer. If the pollard option is adopted (see photo 1) it will not be possible for safety reasons to allow them to grow back to this size.

The other street trees

In addition to the twenty London Plane trees, there are five Italian Alders and a Lime tree.  The Alder trees will be pruned to reduce their height, but unfortunately they don’t respond well to heavy pruning or pollarding.  They were planted about 40 years ago and are now nearing the end of their design life and will need to be replaced within the next few years. No change to the pruning method or frequency is proposed for the Lime tree.

Timescale

The trees are due to be pruned in early 2008. The type of pruning will depend on the results of the consultation and Council approval.

What will happen if the proposal is rejected? 

If residents reject the proposal, the Council will continue to prune the trees using the existing method and frequency. If the results of the consultation are inconclusive, the comments made by residents, together with the views of ward councillors, will be considered by Cabinet members.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about the proposals or need further explanation, you can contact the Council’s Arboricultural Services.  

Phone: 020 8753 3046

Email: info@delib.co.uk