To make sure Newcastle’s parks continue to be safe places for people to visit, we will be continuing with works to trees across the city as part of our tree risk management and wider routine maintenance programme, throughout February and March.
These important works follow a review of over 10,000 trees in Newcastle’s parks. 85 trees – across 18 of the city’s 33 parks – require works in the next few weeks. 48 are middle aged/mature trees that will be felled as they pose a threat to people’s safety, and four trees will be left as monoliths to provide a valuable habitat for wildlife. The remaining trees require limbs to be removed. We understand the removal of trees may be upsetting for some, particularly those of you that visit the affected parks on a regular basis. We want to assure you that this is the most appropriate course of action. In a woodland setting, we could leave diseased trees to come to a natural end and contribute to the ongoing ecology of the area. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible in areas such as our urban parks, and where trees are presenting an immediate danger. We must prioritise people’s safety, and protecting wildlife is our absolute priority, so checks will take place for potential bat roosts and nesting birds prior to any tree works.
All the timber from the tree maintenance work will be put to good use. Chippings will be used as mulch, large branches as firewood, and we are exploring potential creative ideas such as sculptures for larger lengths. Also, where appropriate, we will leave some logs and chippings on the ground to decay naturally as this provides a valuable habitat for insects and fungi.
We’ve committed to planting at least two new trees for every diseased tree we remove, ensuring Newcastle’s parks remain beautiful places for people to enjoy today, and long into the future.
By the end of winter 2022/23 we will have planted in excess of 8,000 trees across the estate – far surpassing our target of 5,000 by 2026.
If you have any questions or concerns about the works outlined above, you can contact us by emailing info@urbangreennewcastle.org.
An update on our Winter 22/23 tree works
