Call for action on dangerous trees in Louth

A number of councillors at the Dundalk Municipal District February meeting, raised the issue of dangerous trees in the north Louth area following StormÉowyn

Cllr Marianne Butler raised the matter initially at the February meeting, first praising the clean up work done by the local authority staff following Storm Éowyn, and then asked about the trees in public parks in the area.

Cllr Butler said that some of the trees are 100-200 years old, and asked if there is a plan in place that when those trees eventually go, they would be replaced with other trees. Cllr Butler also noted that in St Helena's Park, trees that were blown down during the storm were newer ones, and the older ones were still standing.

Cllr Ciarán Fisher spoke on the matter saying that the storm highlighted the dangers of trees if they were not properly maintained. Cllr Fisher said that they had been told that better trimming of the trees in public spaces could happen but that they have yet to do so, and asked that it be done. Cllr Fisher also put forward that when trees are being dealt with in urban areas, that they be trimmed and other trees be planted in “less contentious” locations.

Replying to the councillors, Senior Engineer Mark Johnston, said that the plan for the local area, agreed in 2015, was that for every tree cut down, four are planted, and that a minimun of 200 trees are planted each year. Mr Johnston said that the plan says to prune diseased trees, to thin out trees that are clustered, adding that there was no policy to cut down trees to let more light into an area, but further adding that the Director was reviewing the plan as it is now ten years old.

Cllr Antóin Watters also spoke on the matter, saying that they really have to start issuing notices to landowners in relation to dangerous trees on their properties.Cllr Watters said a tree he had previously flagged with the Council had fallen just the previous weekend, but thankfully did not fall on a nearby house.

He said that landowners really need to start taking responsibility, and mentioned a fund that was being discussed nationally, to help landowners do so, adding that the Council needs to be seen to be leading on the matter and put forward that it do so.

Replying to Cllr Watters, Mr Johnston said that the Council is noting down trees that it believes to be “suspect” and is compiling a list of names and addresses in relation to them, and has been since the storm.

He added that there is a general notice on the Council website advising all landowners to look at their trees and ensure they are not about to fall, but further added that they would be writing to some landowners in relation to trees where action needs to be taken.

Cllr Emma Coffey supported Cllr Butler's comments in relation to the trees in St Helena's Park, commenting that the park was opened in 1916, and that it would be nice to know that trees will be planted to replace the fallen ones. Cllr Coffey also highlighted trees at Bay Estate on the Avenue Road that she said had been half cut, to access wires, and was fearful that they would fall.

Cllr Coffey said she thinks it was done by the ESB and that she has put in a request that they be looked at, and asked the local authority to follow up on it. Replying to Cllr Coffey, Mr Johnston said that it was the ESB that did the work and they would look into seeing what could be done on it.

Cllr John Reilly spoke on the matter highlighting trees on Castle Road had been trimmed last year. Cllr Reilly said that something would need to be done in relation to trees and powerlines and suggested that landowners might be permitted to cut trees throughout the year, as they are curretly restricted to cutting them at restricted times during the year.

Cllr Reilly also highlighted a tree on Jocelyn Street that he said he was told was growing into the balcony on an adjacent home and blocking out the light, and asked what the policy was in the county in relation to cutting and pruning back trees.

Cllr Seán Kelly put forward that councillors from the three districts in Louth be able to have input on the Council's policy on trees when it is being looked at again. Cllr Kelly said that the policy in the Dundalk Municipal District has not worked and that there has been numerous issues with trees in the area that they are raising constantly.

Replying to the councillors, Mr Johnston said that trees are trimmed where it is needed, highlighting that the Council had trimmed some on the Inner Relief Road before the storm. Mr Johnston added they removed diseased trees and spend “quite a lot of money every year”, cutting, trimming and dealing with trees.

The Senior Engineer further added that trees that are deemed dangerous are inspected, and on trees where action needs to be taken, €3,000 to €4,000 is spent taking them down, “so its an expensive operation”.