From the Redbirdge Arboricultural and Horticultural Manager

We have been liaising with CoL about the Horse Chestnut trees on the High Road, which Redbridge maintains on behalf of the CoL.

The leaf miner does not appear to be as prevalent as it has been in the past, which means less damage to leaves, and the trees then are able to create more energy to grow, heal and store energy for the following year.

The bleeding canker, which kills off the bark and active cells beneath, is still present some of the Horse Chestnut trees. The canker stops/slows down the flow of sugars, minerals and water between leaves and roots and can cause branches or whole trees to die. We have seen signs of tree’s healing over old canker wounds and in some cases, there has been secondary fungal infections that the decay the internal wood and can cause branches or trees to collapse.

We are inspecting the Horse Chestnut trees on the High Road annually and carrying out safety work where required.

The inspection this year will be looking to confirm the number of missing Horse Chestnut trees on the High Road, as planting was suspended due to the leaf miner and bleeding canker. We have records of 41 absent trees or tree stumps and 163 existing Horse Chestnut trees – please see link to map https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1_NE3CRH1PNH1EAAPxliKz_gI3sY1J_A&usp=sharing

The current plan is that, once data is collected, Redbridge and CoL will design a planting plan and then consider the next steps, which should include public consultation.