Lime trees with disease to be felled

The lime trees lining the avenue through the Dane John Gardens in Canterbury are one of the park’s best loved features. But the city council says three will have to be felled, along with a fourth in the St Mary de Castro park in Castle Street, because they are diseased.

The authority has called it “a difficult decision” but insists they must come down on public safety grounds.

They are believed to have been planted in the Dane John in 1793 when a formal avenue was created as part of improvements to the gardens by city businessman and newspaper proprietor, James Simmons. Council chiefs say tree experts have been monitoring them for some time as the ones in the Dane John are suffering from a fungus called ganaderma, which rots wood. The tree in the St Mary de Castro park is deemed unsafe because it has a huge hole in its trunk. A spokesman said: “The timing of this work has been very carefully considered. We are acutely aware it is bird nesting season, but there is also a risk of collapse. Summer storms are increasing in number and intensity. “Following close inspections, we believe we can leave them a little while longer to get as close to the end of the nesting season as possible. “Inevitably some people will think we should wait even longer, while others will say do it now. We accept we cannot make everyone happy. We will announce the date of their removal nearer the time.”

■ Read more about the history of the Dane John on p12.

Lime trees in Canterbury’s Dane John Gardens