Councillor Tom Anderson introduced this report which set out the findings and recommendations arising from a scrutiny review of Wirral Council’s draft Tree Strategy. The review had been commissioned as part of the Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s work programme in 2019/20. The Committee agreed that although there was a risk with trees that could not be completely mitigated, the tree strategy and scrutiny review findings provided a comprehensive basis for effective tree management and a focus on planting.

Councillors raised points and questions about the strategy and highlighted several of the review’s recommendations which included

·  A request that the consultation data be shared

·  That ‘friends’ groups and community groups be engaged with

·  That assurance be provided around the perception that profits were being made by companies selling wood from felling, although it was clarified that tree surveyors were independent of felling contractors

·  The Council currently did not have the resources to undertake the entire process from inspection to maintenance in-house.

·  The duty of inspection and maintenance extended to all Council land including public footpaths as well as parks and highways, although they all faced the risk of trees falling during storms

·  There was a commitment to plant about 200,000 trees in the next ten years as part of the Council’s Climate Strategy and this would help replace the approximately 2,000 trees that required felling

·  Ward groups identified by Members who had previously adopted trees as part of the Council’s ‘Adopt a Tree’ scheme and had concerns around maintenance would be investigated by officers on a case by case basis

·  Councillors could not pay for new or replacement trees from their Ward budgets because there was an ongoing maintenance cost, but those rules may need reconsidering

Resolved - That

(1)  the findings and recommendations contained within the Tree Strategy Scrutiny Review report be approved

(2)  the report be presented to the next meeting of the Cabinet for consideration.