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Town Centre trees are axed
The trees stumps on Standishgate
SHOPPERS were left perplexed after noticing several town centre trees had been hacked down.
Around seven Silver Maple and Alder trees along Standishgate have been chopped down leaving stumps around two foot tall.
While many shoppers thought the trees had been the victim of vandals or those in search of fire wood, council officials have confirmed they instructed the removal of the trees after they were identified as very dangerous.
Not receiving the right nutrients, the trees were cut down and will be replaced with semi-mature London Planes.
The deputy leader, Councillor David Molyneux, said: “We believe trees make a real positive difference to the look and feel of our urban environment.
“Last year, officers noted that the Standishgate Silver Maple and Alder trees were dying due to insufficient available nutrients as they were constrained by the concrete drainage rings in which they had been planted many years earlier.
“They were a hazard to pedestrians and we acted to remove them as soon as possible.
“We will be replacing them this year, and to add instant greenery to the town centre, we’ll be planting semi-mature London Planes, installed with the appropriate safe infrastructure.
“We want to ensure the town centre street scene is as welcoming and attractive as possible.”
One town centre shopper added: “I often sit on the benches by the trees when I come shopping while I eat my lunch.
“Then one day I just noticed that all the trees had been cut down.
“They looked fine to me and now they just look awful.
“The trees added to the area and looked nice, not any more. I hope they are replanted.”
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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Wind direction: East
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Comments
There are 12 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
peter franzen
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 02:02 PMTrust Wigan Council to find yet more ways of wasting money when they are cutting jobs and frontline services. Surely it would have made more sense to remove the concrete restraining rings from around the trees. Now the concrete restraining rings and also the tree roots will have to be removed at greater cost, plus the enormous cost of planting semi-mature trees.
rockcottage
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:17 PMLet's hope some fat cats in Wigan Council soon go the same way, by getting the chop!
jupiter
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 05:58 PMTrelawney - I agree totally with what you are saying but will the Council agree with us - I somehow doubt it. They may like British Rail say we have had the wrong sort of snow, rain whatever or they may even say there were too many leaves around the base of the trees!
Wandering Wiganer
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:47 PMI would definitely agree with that.
Trelawney
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:20 AMPost 5. I don't have a problem with the tress been cut down on safety grounds. What I do have a problem with is, who was the expert who planted these trees and did not foresee the problem?
Peawapp
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 06:23 PMIts elf and safety y'know!
Mr Good Guy
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 06:08 PMcan we have a couple of palm trees and some sand,just thinking of my holidays
Wandering Wiganer
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 05:32 PMThe trees were dying and caused a potential hazard. They were cut down, but will be replaced. It's that simple, folks.
cowboy
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 04:06 PMwhoever cut these trees down could be sent to haigh hall, i mean theres nothing more dangerous than cutting down trees in between seats, lets face it somebody could be sat on them, [ the seats], the idiots have escaped and are running wigan council
TeaForTwo
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 03:51 PM" identified as very dangerous" OH NO! Killer trees!!
0scar
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 01:21 PMAROUND seven Silver Maple and Alder trees... Is that the best standard of journalism we can expect? Did nobody think to count them whilst taking the photograph?
northandsouth
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 11:57 AMHow to waste money!!!!! Wigan is doomed.
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