Issue - meetings

To consider a report from the Director for Communities, a copy is attached as item 6.

Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Communities, copies of which had been circulated to all Members and a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes as Item 6. 

The report informed the Committee on the proposed management approach to the known risk of Ash dieback to our ash trees. 

Adur and Worthing Councils’ tree stock had already been affected by the disease and going forward, it was essential that the Councils planned to manage the current and future risks of the disease spreading. Defra and the Tree Council had created a toolkit to assist land managers with the effective and safe management of their tree stock and the disease. 

The report recommended that both Councils adopt this toolkit / approach to enable the Councils to prepare and manage for the spread of the disease.

During consideration of the item, Members sought clarification regarding a number of aspects including:-

• the DEFRA toolkit;
• the number of trees affected and the types of trees that were to be replanted;
• whether conversations were being held with external organisations and key stakeholders, including West Sussex County Council, the RSPB and the Wildlife Trust;
• whether there was any realisable value from the wood.;
• the advice being provided to local residents and the mechanisms in place for residents to report into the Councils.  

Decision:  

The Joint Strategic Committee:- 

1.    approved the approach in using the DEFRA tool kit as best practice;

2.    approved the removal of infected tree stock where needed;

3.    approved to commit to a replanting programme to preserve our landscapes and work towards climate change mitigation.

Call In: 

The call-in deadline for this decision will be 5.00pm on 18 October 2019.