By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Cotswold villagers are calling for “dangerous” trees to be removed from the side of two A roads near Bourton-on-the-Water after “around 100” trees fell in recent stormy weather causing damage to property.
Residents Andrew Vaughan and Paul Clark called on highways bosses this week to ensure the remaining trees along the A436 and A429 are chopped down before they cause a tragedy.
A man was previously seriously injured by a fallen tree along there and a female driver was lucky to get out of her car alive after a tree fell on it, residents say.
Mr Vaughan asked why they had not removed all the remaining trees in the interests of public safety.
He said during Storm Darragh around 100 trees fell and since then a further three have fallen.
And he said more trees have been leaning and breaking due to Storm Eowyn on January 25.
“Speaking with Tim Bird, Gloucestershire tree surveyor in December after the initial trees had been cleared, he stated this disaster should never have been allowed to happen.
“The landowners have clearly had enough time to make suitable arrangements to remove all trees and tidy up.
“Every day no action is taken residents of Old Gloucester Road and anyone driving along the A436 and A429, especially during high winds, are risking their lives and fatalities/serious injury and further disruption for residents may unfortunately be inevitable.”
And Paul Clark said it was alarming the County Council was “showing no sense of urgency” over the matter.
He explained that in December one tree fell on a car and a woman was lucky to get out alive.
However, he said another tree fell on a man who was very seriously injured. “Since then, a lot of excellent work has been done to clear the trees.
Currently, however, the work has been stopped and I am deeply concerned about this.
“Across the road, there is the most awful mess but, far more importantly, there is a terrible risk to life and limb.
“There are some very tall trees in the second row that in another high wind could easily come down on the A436 like happened on December 7, especially as their shallow roots have been weakened. In fact, two did come down in the storm a few days ago.
“Previously, it was most fortunate that nobody was killed but, with the landowners trying to absolve themselves of responsibility, I dread to think what could happen next time.”
County Councillor Paul Hodgkinson (LD, Bourton-on-the-Water and Northleach), who represents the area, has also been lobbying Shire Hall chiefs on the issue.
He said: “I am backing residents who are very worried about the risk which some of the trees still pose.
“When I took a close look at the damage recently I was really disturbed to see how fragile the remaining trees look.
“They have shallow roots and are particularly vulnerable to the next storm we get.
“Those trees which are at risk of falling need to be taken down urgently – not next month but right now. Anything else risks the well being and property of local people.”
Council leader Stephen Davies (C, Hardwicke and Severn) said the authority has been in regular contact with the landowner since December.
And he expects work to fell the trees will be undertaken promptly as the Forestry Commission are currently processing a felling licence.
“We have been in regular contact with the landowner since the original incident in December,” he said.
“The landowner has engaged positively with us and confirmed that the Forestry Commission are processing their felling licence promptly.
“They have confirmed that they have undertaken their own surveys to prioritise felling and their contractors are pricing and planning the works. On this basis we expect works to be undertaken promptly.