Trees Removed at Hollingworth Lake Sparks Concern During Nesting Season
A local resident, Helen Whittaker, posted in a Facebook group after seeing contractors cutting down the trees. She expressed particular worry about the timing of the work, given that it is currently peak nesting season for many bird species around the lake.
“I was very upset to see trees being cut down at the lake this morning,” she posted. “This area is known to support a significant number of birds. Work on the site has barely happened over winter. If any tree work was required, it should have been carried out during that period. I would like to know whether a survey for breeding birds was conducted in advance.”
In response to the concerns, Hollingworth Lake Country Park issued a statement explaining that the work was unrelated to the new play structure and was carried out on urgent safety grounds.
According to the park, routine remedial works last week revealed serious issues with two trees near the play area. After further inspection by contracted tree surgeons, both were deemed unsafe.
“There was significant disease in both trees, which was even more apparent after inspection, and it was not a decision we took lightly,” the park responded.“We couldn’t take any risk of these falling, given the public area they’re in. We are all disappointed that we had to take this action, but we had to prioritise the public’s health and safety.”
The park also clarified that the adventure nets and play structures were designed specifically to avoid impacting healthy trees, with the intention of allowing children to interact more closely with nature.
While the removal has understandably caused upset among some visitors, the park emphasised that the decision was made only after professional assessment and with safety as the overriding concern.
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