‘Chainsaw massacre’ as urban trees face the chop admits Government : Graham Evans, Conservative MP for Weaver Vale
Graham Evans, Conservative MP for Weaver Vale

‘Chainsaw massacre’ as urban trees face the chop admits Government

Health and safety and compensation culture threat to leafy roads & suburbs

Local street trees face a growing threat of being cut down due to fears over possible compensation claims and breaches of health & safety rules. The Government has published a long-delayed report on urban trees, following a previous report in the 1990s. The new survey reveals that:

·         Trees are being cut down at a faster rate than they are being planted, so the number of trees in towns is declining.

·         Fears of insurance claims from subsistence or health and safety are leading to the chopping down of trees.

·         Because of funding pressures, many councils are having to cut back on tree maintenance – in turn, increasing the scope for compensation claims, and forcing town halls into the ‘quick fix’ of chopping down trees.

Cllr Graham Evans Weaver Vales Prospective MP, said:

“Weaver Vale’s tree officers do a good job in difficult circumstances. Yet the Government’s own report shows how Whitehall is failing to stop the spread both of the ‘compensation culture’ and the heavy-handed application of health and safety rules.

“Trees are vital to the greening ofWeaver Valesenvironment and improving quality of life. But alarm bells are ringing. Our roads and cherished leafy suburbs increasingly face the threat of a chainsaw massacre under Labour.”

February 2008