STATION CLOSE - TALL CONIFERS

A row of trees on Station Close which has been a bone of contention over the past few years is finally being cut down.  Residents have complained for some time about the height of the trees and expressed concern about the safety of such tall conifers, particularly as they sway alarmingly in high winds.  Cllr Harry Grayson has been trying to sort the matter out for the past five years but there has been a dispute over who is actually responsible since they were planted on Hyndburn land by a property developer and has appeared at points on the deeds of residents' properties.  It was eventually decided that they fell under the jurisdiction of Lancashire County Council as they run alongside a highway but LCC give an amount of money to Hyndburn Borough Council each year to deal with dangerous trees and were told that no extra funding would be provided.  Whilst HBC agreed that the trees present a risk, LCC do not see the trees as a danger, despite the fact that they are considerably taller than the 8ft allowed by regulations.  The further problem arose that HBC had already spent the money in other wards and there is currently nothing left in the pot.

At a Rishton Council planning meeting on 9th February, Cllr Ken Moss asked what the legal position would be if one of the trees blew onto one of the houses and was advised that any insurance claims may end us as another lengthy debate about responsibility.  Residents in the surrounding area have been formally consulted about the problem and only one objection was raised to their removal on the bounds of privacy. However, it was felt that the safety implications and weight of feeling from other households that would be affected should take priority, plus an existing fence and hedge will remain on the boundary of the property in any case following removal.  With this in mind and in order to sort the problem out, Harry Grayson and Ken Moss used emergency powers to use funds from Rishton Area Council to remove the conifers and this should be carried out within the next four weeks.