Swansea Council is taking action against a fungus which is attacking some of its beech trees in one of our most loved and enjoyed Parks.
Staff from the Arboricultural Service are in the process of removing a number of mature beech trees in Singleton Park.
The fungus affects the roots and butt of the tree, which causes decay and will eventually make them unstable and therefore unsafe.
Steve Wade, the Council’s trees and landscape manager, said there was no choice but to carry out the felling work to ensure the safety of park users.
“Singleton Park is a very popular destination for events and for casual visitors. We inspect and maintain the trees to ensure a healthy and safe tree stock and if any become a risk to the public they are quickly dealt with.”
He said: “The fungus called Giant Polypore is very hard to detect and its fruiting bodies appear only for a short period, so if it is not identified at that time then you will be unaware of any potential problem.
Mr Wade said the Council has already felled one tree that was close to failure and will continue through this month and next to fell at least five more that are affected.
The Council has also had to fell a large horse chestnut on the border of the show ground because it was dead.
Mr Wade added: “Where we have to carry out this kind of work we do aim to re-plant in the areas where trees have been removed to provide continued tree cover. It’s part of the work that we do to maintain and improve parks like Singleton for the enjoyment of future generations of visitors.”
