Agenda item

To receive the report of the Director of Open Spaces.

The Committee noted that approximately 64% of the City Corporation’s Open Spaces are comprised of woodland or wood pasture. Although each Open Spaces division manages its tree stock in a safe way through local procedures, there was currently no overarching departmental policy to ensure consistency of approach.

Members noted that there were an increasing number of harmful pests and diseases affecting trees in the UK, and there was the potential for these to harm both our users and the composition and character of our tree stock if left unchecked. It was important that staff, contractors and visitors to our sites are made aware of

these pathogens and that there was guidance in place to minimise the risk of their

spreading.

Members agreed that this report should be shared as best practice with other Committees and local authorities. Officers agreed to circulate the report.

Resolved: That Members:

· Approved the Tree Safety Policy, Biosecurity Policy and Biosecurity

Protocol for immediate adoption by the Open Spaces Department;

· Agreed that the Tree Safety Policy be shared with other relevant

departments in order to ensure a consistent approach to tree safety

management across the City Corporation.