Road to close while trees felled in disease battle

Ash dieback has a mortality rate of 60 to 70%, rapidly killing young trees

A Hertfordshire road will be closed on Sunday while trees are felled to prevent the spread of ash dieback disease. 

Ash trees along Batchworth Lane in Moor Park will be felled and pruned in an attempt to control the declining health of specimens affected.

Three Rivers District Council's tree officers have been finding increasing numbers of ash trees in poor health due to ash dieback.

The council will temporarily close Batchworth Lane near the junction with Rickmansworth/London Road (A404) to Astons Road in Northwood between 08:00 and 19:00 BST.

Ash dieback is a serious disease caused by an airborne fungus.

It can affect ash trees, particularly the UK’s native species, common ash, which are widespread across the Three Rivers district.

The disease has a mortality rate of 60 to 70%, rapidly killing saplings and young ash trees.

Older trees get weaker after repeated seasons of infection, becoming more susceptible to other pathogens, accelerating the decline and death of the tree.

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Ash trees have to be felled and pruned to deal with the effects of the disease

Areas such as Rickmansworth Aquadrome, Oxhey Woods, Batchworth Heath, Chorleywood House Estate and Carpenters Wood have been particularly hit.

In the Rickmansworth Aquadrome felling and pruning has been completed.

In lower-risk areas trees are having branches removed which are left standing as deadwood habitats for insects, fungi and bats.

Felled timber is being stacked on-site to create habitat piles, or some could be sold as firewood to offset the cost of the work.

Alex Laurie, the council’s principal tree and landscape officer, said: “This project aims to deal with the effects of this disease which can be deadly for ash trees.

“We hope by taking action now we can prevent declining trees from becoming dangerous to road users. We apologise for any inconvenience the work might cause.”

Once the work along Batchworth Lane is completed, officers will be surveying trees in Carpenters Wood, Oxhey Woods and other open spaces in the district.