Tree felling welcomed by nature group

A WARRINGTON nature campaigner has welcomed the move to cut down trees near a local brook.
Geoff Settle, new chair of Warrington Nature Conservation Forum, says local residents can now safely enjoy the wildlife including water voles, heron and kingfisher, at Padgate Brook behind Montrose Close.
Mr Settle had been worried that local children swinging from trees there was causing damage to them, creating a litter problem -and putting the children at risk after two serious accidents last summer.
He wrote to the Environment Agency to ask whether some of the lower level branches could be removed but was initially horrified when they arrived with chainsaws to take down the trees.
He said: “On hearing the noise of chain saws, I went to investigate and to my horror found that the trees were being felled.
“As the new chair of the Warrington Nature Conservation Forum I thought that I had scored an own goal. I wasn’t exactly setting a good example for biodiversity and conservation!!
“However on contacting the arboricultural manager I breathed a sigh of relief as he explained that one of the trees had anthracnose disease and honey fungus and was two thirds dead.
“A second tree had shed a large limb; possibly as a consequence of the rope swings and on closer inspection the damage had resulted in a large tear.
“This tear had seriously impacted into the main bowl of the tree weakening the integral strength of the remaining branches and therefore reluctantly has to be felled.”
“Hopefully the brook can now be left to recover in silence after the joint environmental team effort and local residents can once more safely enjoy the wildlife especially the water voles, heron and kingfisher.”