Forum Topic

The state of our Trees across Ealing

Apart from the tree collapsing in South Ealing, The Council have shamefully left our trees to rot across Ealing. Those in my road have not been touched in years, now so big and overgrown they almost touch the houses and are so out of scale with their surroundings, people often having to walk in the roads to get around them, or to avoid tripping over the roots etc..I take it the council will plead poverty as it's excuse for abandoning them.

Leslie Bailey ● 1757d8 Comments

It's clearly roots.A bit of research shows that in the 1960s and early 70s Ealings Tree maintenance not only pruned trees but in a way that reduced root growth.They also carefully pruned tree roots to reduce uneven paving and damage to services.This has not happened since 1975.  There are now several schools of thought by arbourculturalists about tree pruning and root control and many conflict.Unfortunately over theist 20 years Ealing has had zig zag policies from this very situation and now many trees have not bee pruned not maintained in an appropriate way.But by far the worst problem is not keeping tabs on what road and constructions works are doing. Or enforcing.Most of the bad pavements are down to infrastructure works poor finishing and signing off stuff before any settling in.Then it's impossible to get the contractors back to put it all right.Ealing unfortunately has had a very long history of this as do Hounslow  which is why it is dogged with such poor standards which are now coming home to roost.

Raymond Havelock ● 1754d

It's the same with the soil on Ealing Common.I walk across Ealing Common at least once or twice a week.The Circus people and others are supposed to reinstate the soil surface on the Common to the same state they found it. Which is basically loam -clay mixed with organic matter to make a loose open permeable soil. Only they don't. They  simply lay down clay which turns into a quaqmire when wet, and on which any newly sowngrass seed (of a much coarser variety than thatwhich it is supposed to replace) only germinates inclumps if at all.    And this shoddy work is then signed off , presumablyby someone with a degree in Leisure Management or similarmichael adams...

Michael Adams ● 1755d

Theres an image on Francis Frith of the South Ealing tree in 1955. https://photos.francisfrith.com/frith/south-ealing-south-ealing-road-c1955_s617001_large.jpgAs can be seen it already had a lean even then.It's the same tree with the branch growing off to the left as can be confirmed on Google Streetviewhttps://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4982559,-0.3058679,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEkFwHMWcN8eBxz8-BePpWw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192What's surprising is how little it grew in the intervening 65 years.Whats clear from both images is that it didn'tseem to be getting much water at the roots. Whetherthis had any bearing on its condition and slow growth rate I'm not sure.michael adams 

Michael Adams ● 1755d

Read this and see why wilful damage of tree toots is a stupid idea. Ealing is sitting on an arboreal time bomb: https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/horticulture-care/tree-root-problems

Simon Hayes ● 1757d

Every chance this trees roots were damaged with the extensive road works carried out on both the rad and pavement vicinity of the tree.Has crossed my mind about this several times when viewing the works from the bus.But like most of the problems the roadworks have caused, LBE have not lifted a finger to alleviate the traffic delays in South Ealing Road or the sub standard quality of road reinstatement.  Far easier to mess about with things that don't need fixing than actually keeping things well maintained and up to high standard.But Hey! Thats Ealing all over .

Raymond Havelock ● 1757d

Ealing USED to have an award-winning in-house arboriculture team.
Like most things, poverty was pleaded and the service was outsourced and, like many outsourced 'services' this has proven to be a false economy.

N V Brooks ● 1757d

Rosco, since when has the public complaining stopped Ealing Council doing anything. If that was a reason for stopping anything controversial there’d not have been a breeze block laid of all these tower blocks.The street trees across the borough are in a very perilous state, something I’ve raised with councillors for some time. Continuous digging up of the streets damages the roots. While the tree may look ok above ground since enough root survives to keep the canopy green, the damaged parts slowly rot away underground. Tree roots are surprisingly shallow but they need them to spread evenly around the trunk to ensure good anchorage.We saw in February what happens when there are gale force winds, with damaged property from falling trees. But the winds yesterday weren’t anything like as strong. This was a mature tree but it’s canopy had been pollarded relatively recently so the leaf area wasn’t as big as it could have been. It should not simply have toppled over. Note that the roots came out of the ground, it didn’t snap across the trunk. The pale colour of the root suggests they had rotted away on the part close to the road.The Council got lucky yesterday - as did pedestrians, cyclists and motorists - but all trees should be assessed as a priority . I’ve suggested they divert some of their cycling money towards this. Next time we could be reading about a tragedy. People are not that stupid that they won’t accept the removal of a dangerous tree.

Simon Hayes ● 1757d

To be fair to LBE, when they do cut down or severely prune a tree there's often an almighty uproar from indignant and outraged citizens.Regarding trees LBE can't win sometimes, and I do appreciate and understand there may have been circumstances where the cutting down/severe pruning may not have always been entirely "valid."

Rosco White ● 1757d