'Significant risk' - Trees to be felled in West Sussex after being 'affected by destructive disease'

Adur and Worthing Councils said its staff ‘had to begin felling trees’ from woodland areas that have been affected by the destructive disease ash dieback.

Work has started at Lancing Ring. The councils’ contractor will then move on to Sheepcombe Hanger at Cissbury Fields in Worthing.

“Ash dieback is a chronic fungal disease that has been slowly killing ash trees in the UK and across Europe,” the councils’ social media post read.

“Ash is the most common tree across West Sussex. Ash dieback significantly weakens trees and results in crown dieback, which eventually renders the tree unsafe.

"In recent years, we have been felling trees clearly affected by the disease to ensure public woodland paths remain safe.”

The councils said a contractor has started work at Lancing Ring – led by an arboricultural inspector, who has ‘surveyed which trees need to be felled’.

"Work will then focus on affected trees at Sheepcombe Hanger at Cissbury Fields in Worthing,” the councils added.

“Unfortunately, around 40 trees at Lancing Ring and more than 100 at Sheepcombe Hanger will need to be felled as they pose a significant risk to the public if they fall. We are still retaining trees that are showing some signs of resistance at this time.

“Disturbance will be kept to a minimum and we request that you keep dogs under close control and keep out of any areas cordoned off for the work.”

As with the councils’ previous ash dieback works, hundreds of new young trees – ‘including species such as oak, hornbeam and field maple’ – will be planted to ‘replace the lost trees’. The councils said this will ‘ensure our woodlands are conserved for future generations’.

New trees will be planted at the affected areas of Lancing Ring and Cissbury Fields next winter, the councils said.

According to woodlandtrust.org.uk, ash dieback (hymenoscyphus fraxineus) ‘will kill up to 80 per cent’ of ash trees across the UK.

The trust website reads: “At a cost of billions, the effects will be staggering. It will change the landscape forever and threaten many species which rely on ash.

"Ash dieback is a fungus which originated in Asia. It doesn’t cause much damage on its native hosts of the Manchurian ash (fraxinus mandshurica) and the Chinese ash (fraxinus chinensis) in its native range.

"However, its introduction to Europe about 30 years ago has devastated the European ash (fraxinus excelsior) because our native ash species did not evolve with the fungus and this means it has no natural defence against it.” Read more at www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/tree-pests-and-diseases/key-tree-pests-and-diseases/ash-dieback/