Cornwall Council Confirms Removal of Trees on Trelawney Road, Falmouth

Cornwall Council explains why three lime trees must go – and what happens next

Cornwall Council has shared new details about the planned removal of three lime trees from Trelawney Road in Falmouth, following months of delay and public protests.

The trees were originally due to be removed in March this year, but the work was postponed due to local opposition. At the time, the Council said it could not release the full details behind the decision due to ongoing court proceedings.

Now, following agreement with all relevant parties, the Council has explained why the removal is legally necessary.

Roots tangled with critical infrastructure

Investigations into the situation began in 2021 and continued into 2022. Four trial pits and a site survey were carried out to assess the extent of the damage caused by the tree roots.

The findings revealed that six separate services run underneath the footpath between the boundary wall and the trees. These include power cables for streetlights, water pipes, and internet cables. All of these utilities have become entangled with the tree roots.

The roots have also pushed up and damaged the road surface and footway, with kerbs removed in some areas after being declared unsafe.

No safe or viable alternative

The Council considered whether it would be possible to retain the trees and prevent further damage by installing root barriers. However, due to the presence of essential services beneath the footpath, this was ruled out.

The roots are continuing to cause significant damage to infrastructure, nearby land, and property. As a result, the Council says it is now legally required to remove the trees.

Replanting planned

Cornwall Council has confirmed that the three lime trees will be removed safely, and that four new trees will be planted on the street to replace them.

Councillor Dan Rogerson, Portfolio Holder for Transport at Cornwall Council, said:
“We understand how much these trees mean to the local community. It’s been frustrating for all of us that we couldn’t share more details sooner, but we had to respect the legal process.
We value the role trees play in our towns and neighbourhoods – for wildlife, wellbeing, and climate. That’s why we’ve planted over 1.6 million trees through our Forest for Cornwall programme.
We always look for ways to protect and preserve trees wherever we can. But in this case, the damage to nearby property, public infrastructure, and essential services leaves us with no safe or viable alternative.”

📷Credit: Google