Those in the London area may have seen a piece on the BBC TV local news yesterday about Wandsworth council wanting to replace diseased horse chestnut trees on Tooting Common. There is a footpath lined with lots of them. Some have already been blown over etc and replaced with younger ones, so it's not just a recent thing. Council are saying they are dangerous. 'Friends' of the common say they just want to save money as replacing them with new semi-mature trees would cost less in maintenance.
All very interesting.
At the foot of my garden - but not in it - there's a larger horse chestnut than any of those. At least 60 ft high - but dwarfed by the sycamore next to it. And its leaves are more brown (diseased) than the ones on the common.
I'm told both those trees date back to before this house was built in the
1880s. If it came down in this direction, it would clobber this house in a big way.So is a diseased chestnut a safety hazard? Or can I sleep safely tonight?