Letter: Insensitive Management of Diseased Ash Trees Has Had Devastating Impact

Published on: 20 Nov, 2024
Updated on: 20 Nov, 2024

Chitty’s Common Wikipedia

From Pauline Searle

Former Mayor of Guildford and county and borough councillor

Chitty’s Common is a well used and loved wetland it is a five hectare site owned and managed by Surrey County Council (SCC), supported by Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) and a group of volunteers, known as the Friends of Chitty’s Common. The Friends hold monthly work parties.

It is widely recognized that Ash dieback is a highly destructive fungal disease that does need to be dealt with, largely by felling infected trees and over the last few weeks SCC contractors have been cutting diseased Ash and other trees on the Common but the overall impact has been devastating.

Heavy mechanical machinery was used and a vast number of trees have been cut down, leaving some areas of the Common unrecognisable, and in several areas quite dangerous as trees have been piled up too high and could potentially collapse.

Trees and branches have also blocked the surface drainage in several locations adding to the flooding problem.Newlaid footpaths have also been damaged by the heavy tracks of the machinery that was used, also in some places tree trunks have been left standing as monoliths as possible habitats for woodpeckers. One small pond at the southern end of the common has a large Ash tree across it making it particularly difficult to manage.

The friends of Chitty’s Common volunteers group face numerous problems at our future work parties trying to deal with piles of large trees and branches with just hand saws and loppers (we don’t use chainsaws) it will be difficult and physically demanding due to the intense tangled mixture of heavy tree trunks and branches.

In addition, the ground has been churned up by the tracks of the machines used which has been exacerbated by the heavy precipitation on London clay which is making walking hazardous.

While some areas of the common has been opened up, it will in due course enable pendulous sedge and brambles to take over parts of the site as it has on the meadow.

Local residents are not sure why the level of devastation was necessary and believe it could have been done in a more sensitive way which could have limited the amount of damage done to the general appearance of our popular common.

Had the large tree trunks been cut into more manageable lengths as requested then smaller log piles could have been created resulting in habitat for a wide range of invertebrates , insects,birds and animals.

It should be noted that the well-used boardwalk which runs north to south through the central part of the common is largely intact and has not been damaged by machines or work carried out on the trees.

How long it will take for the Common to recover is debatable but it should be remembered that this wetland woodland provides habitat for a wide range of species as well as an important ecosystem service. It should be prized and protected for the future..