Agenda item

1.         Mr Terry and Mr Harwood introduced the report and explained that ash dieback (Chalarafraxinea) has been a major challenge for KCC and its partners for the 4 – 5 months since the start of the outbreak. Emergency Planning is taking a lead role alongside Highways in tackling it.  They highlighted key points as follows:-

• Kent’s approach has been praised by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as an example of good practice.
• Kent has a particular challenge of being the first county in which ash dieback has appeared in the natural environment.  Mr Harwood displayed a map showing the extent of confirmed outbreaks across Kent, which were all in the natural environment. 
• ash is native to Kent as it grows on chalk soil, and is the most widespread tree in the county.

·        ash diebackcan affect street trees (of which, there are approximately 20,000 in the county) and trees in the KCC estate, eg on school sites.

·        the stability of ash trees is poor, and they can fall quite suddenly once dead.

·        an advice leaflet for schools has been published, which has been commended by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

·        Kent Trading Standards have been targeting rogue traders who seek to capitalise on the situation by offering unqualified advice and tree surgery services to householders and landowners.  Some trees have a natural resistance to the condition and may not need to be felled. 

·        trees coming into leaf in the spring will raise the public profile of the issue.

They responded to comments and questions from Members and the following points were highlighted:-

a)         pre-emptive felling is not recommended by DEFRA as some trees are only slightly affected and may be able to survive the outbreak;

b)                     the public is advised to be vigilant and to monitor local trees.  The Forestry Commission’s website and posters and a helpline number are all easy to find. Advisory leaflets will be made more widely available to raise public awareness in spring, and DEFRA will issue more guidance later in March;

c)         KCC is working with landowners as part of its partnership arrangements.  The AONB team liaises with landowners while Emergency Planning takes on a command and control role.  KCC is also working with Martin Ward, the national lead on ash dieback;

d)         it is not yet quite clear to what extent aerial spread has contributed to the outbreak; it could possibly have entered the country on nursery stock imported from mainland Europe;

e)         it is possible that trees felled in dealing with the outbreak could be used as biomass fuel or in domestic wood burners. In that way, some small benefit could be gained from a bad situation;

f)          an established system run by the Highways teams can identify and contact landowners, but some who are difficult to trace and/or who wish to avoid the effort and expense of clearing infected trees will need to be pursued and compelled to act.  KCC has the power to act quickly if a situation is dangerous and recover the costs from the landowner later, although this is both costly and time consuming; and

g)         Kent is at the vanguard of the response to the outbreak and, as it deals with it, will establish best practice which other authorities can then follow.

2.         RESOLVED that:-

a)            the potential serious consequences that the Chalara fraxineaoutbreak poses to the environment and economy of Kent be noted;

b)            the KCC approach outlined within the report be endorsed; and

c)            comments made by Members during debate be noted.