We are blessed to live on one of Lambeth’s greenest estates, in a ward with some of the highest tree canopy coverage in the borough.
Lambeth are responsible for the protection, maintenance, and safety of the trees on our estate. All the trees require monitoring for damage, disease and decay, and need occasional maintenance to make sure they are healthy and safe. If works are needed a ‘tree works order’ is raised.
On the 16.01.25 PRERA had a catchup with Jack from Lambeth to get clarification on which trees on the estate currently have tree works orders on them and why.
Tree orders
There are 9 trees on Bushell Close with tree works orders on them (highlighted on the map below). These tree orders are standard urgency and will be done in 2025, ideally by the summer, but they are not of the highest safety concern.
The holm oak at the rear of 39/46 Bushell Close has an works order outstanding for it to be pruned back from the building and ‘lifted’ by 3m (a crown lift which involves pruning any low hanging branches to remove nuisance, such as branches obstructing footways etc).
There are further 3 tree works orders on trees along Coburg Crescent (highlighted on the map below). These tree orders have been listed as urgent, but were delayed last year due to nesting birds. These trees should be coming down soon as a priority. There is also an Ash tree they are monitoring on Christchurch Road next to the path by the notice board at the top northern end of the estate.
Tree surveys
A survey of all the trees on our estate was conducted by an external contractor for Lambeth in November 2023. Service charge paying residents will see the cost of that listed on the Actual Service Charge Bill for 2023-2024 (received in September 2024).
Prior to 2013 trees were pruned on a cycle, but they now do it only when necessary, which is better for the trees and ideally more cost affective. Tree surveys are meant to be scheduled every 3 years, meaning the next one shouldn’t be until November 2026. Lambeth will always look to reduce trees first, then pollard, then fell.
There is a lot of Ash die back across the borough and our estate is likely to loose a lot of it’s Ash trees in the next few years. Climate change is also increasing the instances of Sooty Bark disease and that also could affect a lot of our maples, particularly sycamores, in the years to come.
New/replacement trees
One new tree has been acquired for Palace Road Estate through external funding to replace the missing tree on the traffic island in front of 39 Coburg Crescent.
Lambeth are also replacing the dead trees next to the Coburg Crescent Learning and Disability Centre at no cost to residents (after much emailing by PRERA). The red area is the remit of Lambeth Landscapes and those dead trees will be replaced from the fund mentioned above. This might not be until the Autumn of 2025. The purple area is the remit of Flora-Tec and they are being replaced at their expense due to failure of maintenance.
