DISEASED ash trees near to the centre of Stroud are set to be cut down.

The trees are located in the Frome Banks nature reserve, which is on Dr Newton's Way - the bypass which goes round the back of the Waitrose supermarket.

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) will be working with Gloucestershire County Council and Stroud District Council from this Friday (March 5) to March 15 to fell the trees.

This felling work will involve the partial closure of Dr Newton's Way for a number of days.

The trees earmarked for removal are infected with ash dieback, a fungal disease affecting ash trees, one of the most common types of tree in the UK.

It was first discovered in the UK in 2012 and the disease is now present in all counties of England.

A spokesperson for GWT said: "It’s thought that the disease will affect 70-85% of Gloucestershire’s ash trees in the next 20 years.

"While the disease is harmless to people, infected ash tree limbs can become brittle and break, possibly falling suddenly onto roads and paths, and potentially posing a risk to visitors and road users.

"GWT carry out annual tree safety inspections, and have been monitoring the progression of this disease at Frome Banks for the last couple of years.

"A programme of ash felling works started across GWT sites in 2019 to tackle trees that posed a risk to people and road users. Any severely infected trees on GWT nature reserves near visitor infrastructure - including roads, paths and buildings, were marked for felling and fully inspected for nesting birds or the presence of protected species."

Infected trees that do not pose a significant risk to visitors will be left, increasing deadwood habitats at nature reserves which are essential for invertebrates and fungi.

Alan Sumnall, Lead Land Manager East for Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, said: “We’re keen to get this felling done as quickly as possible to avoid any prolonged disruptions to local residents as well as local wildlife.

"Although it’s always sad to fell trees, it’s essential that we carry out this work to reduce the risk to visitors and passing cars.

"We’ll allow the gaps created by the felling to naturally regenerate with shrubs to create a wildlife-rich hedgerow, which will remain for years to come - enabling wildlife to thrive at this reserve."

GWT said that initial findings suggest that some ash trees may be tolerant to ash dieback, meaning that the population could eventually recover over time. Additionally, the trust has established a tree nursery at its Lower Woods nature reserve where tree saplings are being grown to help fill the gaps caused by ash tree losses.

For further details visit https://www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/ash-dieback