Tree maintenance works during November and December

To make sure Newcastle’s parks continue to be safe places for people to visit, starting this weekend, we will be carrying out further works to trees across the city as part of our tree risk management and wider routine maintenance programme.

Some of the works will take place on weekends in November, beginning this Saturday – 5 November. The works will continue into December, mainly on weekdays, across the estate.

Protecting wildlife is our absolute priority, which is why we’ve appointed a specialist ecologist to survey for potential bat roosts, and if required, carry out further investigations prior to any tree works.

These important works follow a review of over 10,000 trees in Newcastle’s parks. 40 trees – across 17 of the city’s 33 parks – require works in the next few weeks. 20 are mature trees that will be felled as they pose a threat to people’s safety, and five 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.

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 11,000 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.