Historic trees in Bedford infected and cut down

Bedford Borough Council began work to remove the six ailing Horse Chestnut trees from Rothsay Road and Rothsay Place, Bedford.

The infection causes drying out and death of branches, leading to an increased chance of branch collapse.

An additional 12 trees will require ‘pruning’ in order to prevent branch collapse.

The remaining trees will receive a combination of dead wood removal and pruning of lower branches for the safety of vehicles and pedestrians.

Deputy Mayor Charles Royden said: “No one in our arboriculture team relishes the removal of these beautiful and historic trees however, these dead or dying trees present a significant risk to our residents and it is imperative that we make them safe as soon as possible.”

After the current works have taken place, the remaining trees will continue to be monitored regularly and replanting of the area will begin.

Those that have been removed will be replaced with appropriate trees in order to retain the landscape character of the area.