Re: Felled Trees

[Oisin]

I was round Handsworth Park this morning and came across these sorry sites of felled trees.

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I can't imagine why the have been cut down, it can't be the weather as they'd started on them before Christmas and they didn't look diseased to me. The only thing I can think of is an over-reaction to the accident at Cannon Hill Park when an elderly lady was killed by a branch from a diseased tree falling on her. Anyway, I have emailed theParks Department for an explanation. I have also dropped Simon Baddeley a line to see if he can throw any light on the matter.

It does seem such a shame that having spent so much on regenerating the park, we lose the beauty of these natural giants. What's more worrying is there doesn't yet seem to be any moves to replace them with saplings.

 

[jennyann]

Thanks for ther photos of the downed trees. The first thing you look for is disease and your right Paul there doesn't appear to be any. Hopefully, you will receive an explanation from the Parks Board about the reason for their demise. There have been quite a few incidents wth trees themselves and branches falling and injuring or killing people lately in Britain.

Here nature has done her worst in Stanley Park with regard to storms damaging thousands of trees. This is nature and although we don't like what has happened as a result of the storms the Parks Board have decided to do minimal clean up and let nature do the rest. Thousands of seedlings have been donated along with thousands of dollars to help out.
i

 

[Sakura]

Sorry to see those beautiful old trees have been cut down in Handsworth Park.
Let us hope they have a good reason for doing it.
I am sure you will keep us up to date on it Paul.

 

[Oisin]

Re: Handsworth Park

As it's bank holiday I have not received a response from the council yet but have received a very comprehensive reply from Simon (sibadd). These are some of the worrying points he raises...

...I knew some were scheduled to go - with a firm intention to replace -
because of disease (often invisible) but in other cases the plan is in to
reduce tree covering some of the older views that were part of the landscape
plan for the park recommended by Dr.Hilary Taylor.

Obviously the avenue you refer to is one of the characteristic features
designed into the park by Richard Hartland Vertegans park. They must surely
be replaced - but when? Keep asking in the right quarters.

I suggest you contact Dr.Taylor, Adrian Rourke (Landscape Practice Group),
Peter Short (Park Manager) or catch one of the Rangers in the park or their
office off Holly Road, and see if they can tell you what plans are in place
and at what point these will be implemented.

It is a source of frustration to me that no committee member of the
Handsworth Park Association can be contacted or can communicate back by
e-mail. If you e-mail me again I will give you the names, where I know them,
and the phone numbers of the committee. I am a non-voting member of the
Association now with most of my attention going to the campaign to save
Black Patch Park in Smethwick from being built over...

He continues...

...I have copied this to Peter Short so he knows about your query and you have
a copy of his email, also to the estimable Adrian Rourke and his team of
landscape planners who know the park as well as anyone in the city having
been involved in its restoration and plans for its restoration for over a
decade. I have also contacted cabinet member for trees and etc, Cllr Ray
Hassall and my ward councillor Kim Brom.

I am especially sorry about the loss of the fine tree at the west end of the
large pond and on examining its trunk could see no sign of disease – but I
am no arboriculturist.

I am frustrated that park managers have not posted information easily
available to park visitors on their tree husbandry plans given the great
social and psychological importance of trees to peopleÂ’s experience of
Handsworth Park. Thomas Vale while they were doing the actual work in the
Park were quite good at this but I think we are sinking back into an all too
typical Birmingham lack of respect for the customer in this case

(Sorry Pete – I know you work damned hard but it’s really naughty to take
out these trees without a word to rest of us – or not one I’ve heard. If
it’s someone else’s fault let us know their name – and where they live! Paul
runs a website with fine photos of the park. He could have been – can still
be told what happening and may then circulate the news on his website.
https://tinyurl.com/k4p5r All to the good IÂ’d have thought. DonÂ’t miss the
opportunity.)

I shall follow up some of the leads he's given and suggest he change the link to my website to that of this thread.

 

[sibadd]

My only worry about referring Peter Short, Handsworth Park Manager, to this site to elicit information on his and the council's approach to tree management in Handsworth Park is that this site while being superb for displaying photos is qhuite tricky to handle. I find a I see a messge and the button for replying isn't to hand and I get messages barring me when I click on the initial URL. It could be more user friendly and contains superb photos but I am not sure Peter willbe able to handle it. His email is:

Peter Short <[email protected]>

I strongly recommend asking him about the trees. if he gets enough emails he is more likely to respond.

If I get a statement form him on the trees and what is happening aboput replacement and why were apparently disease free trees felled I will endeavour to post it here.

Can I suggest removing all these emoticons (ruddy smilies). They serve minimal purpose and add to the volume of unnecessay information presented to the user )). Simon

 

[Oisin]

Simon,

Sorry if my post was a little confusing. My suggestion of using this URL was just to highlight our concerns. Any response he has can be through me as I will, of course, be sending him my contact details.