Kildare residents threaten contractors sent to cut down trees

Contractors assigned to prune or cut down trees have sometimes been threatened by residents.

Kildare County Council official Simon Wallace made the claim at a Clane-Maynooth Municipal District meeting as he defended KCC’s approach to dealing with tree complaints.

He was responding to a call from Maynooth Fianna Fáil councillor Donna Phelan  for a full survey of public lights to be undertaken in the area “every September/October to ensure they are not obscured by trees.”

She called for a “robust policy” and said residents should not have to continue “to report the same problems year after year.” And she said opposition to a tree being removed should not be used as a reason not to act.

Mr Wallace said the issue arises in cases where developers plant trees beside light poles  and “as the tree matures the tree it is in conflict with the light.”

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He said any issues reported to KCC relating to  trees blocking lights are “included in the programme where the tree is either pruned or where we consider the tree is too near the light and it is removed.”

He also said that when it’s proposed to remove trees blocking lights  “we sometimes face opposition from the public to remove them.”

He also said it’s now KCC policy that "tree issues and conflict with lights” are resolved before KCC takes a new estate in charge.

He said problems with trees will be investigated and put on a list of works by KCC, provided there is sufficient money to do the work.

He said KCC’s approach is consistent and a lot of time is spent surveying trees.