Tree officer to tackle inspection backlog in Winchester (From Romsey Advertiser)
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Tree officer to tackle inspection backlog in Winchester
4:45pm Wednesday 28th March 2012 in Winchester
By Andrew Napier
Tree officer to tackle inspection backlog in Winchester
HIGH-RISK trees on its land is forcing Winchester City Council to appoint a tree survey officer.
Winchester Town Forum heard that there are 106 trees deemed high-risk in the city.
In total the city council has 11,599 trees on its land with 4,052 within the city area. Of these 1,952 need an annual inspection.
Steve Tilbury, corporate director, said: “We have a huge obligation. We have not met that obligation. We are reaching a point where it is simply not acceptable to carry on.”
The council has an inspection programme but it has fallen behind schedule as until now there have been no additional staff to carry it out.
The tree survey officer is due to start work on April 1. The annual cost of the post including pension is £36,200. Transport costs are another £3,800 according to a council report.
(blob) a report to the forum said there were 1,012 trees on sports fields( North Walls, King George V, and Garrison ground); 2,378 on other open spaces; 662 in cemeteries.
