Telford residents: Cut back trees to improve our 'quality of life'
Residents living close to a row of tall trees claim their lives are being made a misery by overhanging branches and mess caused by falling leaves.
A tree expert is due to be sent by Telford & Wrekin Council to carry out a site visit to Malory Drive, Aqueduct, following the complaint.
Its foliage care policy includes "pruning overhanging branches on some occasions" and "thinning work".
Some householders who live in the street are calling on the council to lop the branches, but insist they do not want the trees to be chopped down.
Barbara Bruce, 76, a retired checkout supervisor said: "We have been living here for 26 years. When we first moved in the trees were very small and not creating problems.
"In the last 10 years they have grown very tall. We have been in touch with the council many times to try and get them to come and tidy them up.
"We are not against trees, we don't want them to be removed. All we're asking for is for them to be trimmed and tidied up to make the quality of our lives a bit better.
"I have mobility issues and myself and my husband find it hard to clean up all the debris that comes off the trees."
Mrs Bruce explained that in 2010 one tree had been removed altogether due to Dutch elm disease.
A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "We have spent a lot of money on our garden, but we can't enjoy it due to the adjoining tree line. They are massive.
"One of my neighbours is struggling to change home insurance due to the height.
"They need a fair bit of lopping because they are overhanging our gardens and causing a bit of a mess."
Telford & Wrekin Council spokeperson Kellie Thompson said: "Malory Drive like many other estate roads in the borough have well established tree areas between houses, footpaths, roads and other developments.
"Our policy concerning trees is we do not prune due to shading, leaf or blossom fall.
"We do however consider pruning overhanging branches on some occasions - thinning work. This has been undertaken in recent years in Malory Drive and a tree officer will revisit the site.
"Reducing trees height can weaken trees, altering their natural growth and weaken them, creating hazards requiring ongoing maintenance at a time of ever reducing budgets and competing demands."
