Over 100 of Guet’s 1,000 trees face chop
MORE than 100 trees are set to be felled at Le Guet as they have been deemed to be unsafe.
It is estimated that there are more than 1,000 mature trees in the Castel woodland, which are predominantly pines. Concerns have been raised in recent years about the conifers becoming more unstable, as they are about 80 years old and near the end of their life.
A spokesman from Agriculture, Countryside & Land Management Services said the trees had been checked to see which ones needed to be removed.
‘The arboricultural survey identified 42 mature Monterey pines, which should be felled as they pose a health and safety risk,’ they said.
‘A further 90 smaller trees were also identified due to either being dead, dying or diseased. By removing these trees, more light and space can be achieved which will give us the opportunity to plant replacement trees as part of the future woodland restoration plan.
‘The aim of this restoration plan is to re-introduce native tree species, whilst also retaining the character of Le Guet as a predominantly pine woodland. Broadening the range of tree species will improve and support biodiversity over time, as purely pine (coniferous) woodlands notoriously only support very low levels of biodiversity.’
A planning application has been submitted to install warning signs at the entrances to the woodland about the risk of falling branches.
The felling work is set to start at the beginning of November and take about a month.
