Trees recovering after vandals’ spree of damage
● TREES damaged by vandals last month in a Widnes green space are beginning to recover.
Cllr Andrea Wall previously condemned those responsible for vandalising young trees on the ‘Biggy’ field on the Kingsway Estate.
The semi-mature Paul’s Scarlet Hawthorns had been stripped of bark, ‘hacked at with a blade’ and ‘deeply scored’ with support straps removed, Cllr Wall said.
At the time, it was feared some of the trees may die due to the protective bark being removed.
But Cllr Wall, of Kingsway ward, confirmed no further damage has since been done to the trees and that shoots and red buds are beginning to appear, which she said was ‘encouraging’.
Cllr Wall said: “There are still serious concerns that due to the extensive damage at such a young age that the trees are more susceptible to disease.
“I have applied to the Woodland Trust for a tree pack to carry out further tree planting, which I hope the community will get involved in and I have also applied for a Street Tree pack.
“Street Trees is a Woodland Trust initiative, designed to recognise the value of urban street trees and how important they are to our wellbeing.
“I am hopeful that the applications I have put in on behalf of the Kingsway community will be successful and that members of the community become local tree champions.
“I am a huge believer in trees being good for people’s health, obviously they create the very oxygen we breathe, however, the benefits to people just walking along in urban areas containing trees should not be underestimated.
“Having trees nearby improves physical and mental health by increasing energy levels, whilst also decreasing blood pressure and stress.”
Planting trees stands alongside the Kingsway councillor’s long term project called Widnes Growing Together, which is designed to bring urban communal growing spaces to the town and is already producing fresh fruit and vegetables.
Cllr Wall said she also has concerns regarding several green spaces within the Kingsway Estate which was originally designed around the principles of offering areas of land for residents to use.
She said: “Much of the land known locally as the Kingsway Backs is now owned by the housing association Halton Housing Trust and sadly some of it is in my opinion in poor condition.
“This is a matter I have raised before with HHT and will continue to do so.
“I think it is vitally important that residents are given the opportunity to use this land as it was originally intended.” ●