Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste, the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment and the Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support (HIW/18/32) on Policy Update and Management of Ash Die Back Disease, attached.

An Impact Assessment is also attached to the agenda.

(Councillors Biederman, Dewhirst, Hannaford, Greenslade and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste, the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment and the Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support (HIW/18/32), circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, on the Policy Update and Management of Ash Die Back Disease, including how the Council should manage its responsibility for Ash Dieback in the County with due regard to both public safety and the environment.

The report highlighted that Chalara Dieback of Ash (commonly referred to as Ash Dieback (ADB)) had been pervading the UK from the continent, spreading from east to west.  Whilst in Devon it was in the early stages (but there were confirmed cases) it was estimated that 20% of Devon’s total tree population was Ash which meant it defined much of Devon’s landscape and had the potential for major impact within the next ten years. Estimates showed that the Ash tree population included 6,300 on highway land, 3,900 on the Council’s corporate estate, 3,100 on school grounds, but over 440,000 which were within falling distance of the highway.

The proposal in the Report in the management of Ash Die-back in Devon was focussed, first, on public safety and, second, the environmental impact and mitigation.

In terms of Highways tree’s and public safety, the Council had a duty of care to ensure that all trees on its land were kept in an acceptable condition and were risk assessed into four categories from ‘high’ to ‘very low’. The high-risk category included locations of high thoroughfare and were inspected at least annually by staff and every three years by a qualified arboriculturalist. As Ash die-back started to develop further in Devon, greater vigilance would be required.

In relation to Corporate Sites & Schools, it was proposed that tree inspections were increased where it was shown there was an increased risk.

In terms of Environmental Impact, the anticipated effects could include a degradation of wildlife habitats and loss of key species, visual impact on the landscape, slope stability/soil erosion, greater surface water run-off and increased flood risk and possible implications for air quality and temperature regulation. However, the Council had established a Devon Ash Dieback Resilience Forum who had worked with the Devon Local Nature Partnership (LNP) in producing a Devon Ash Dieback Action Plan (February 2016) available at https://www.naturaldevon.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Devon-ash-dieback-action-plan-February-2016.pdf

The Chief Officer and Heads of Services’ Report incorporated an Impact Assessment relating to the possible impacts, which had been circulated previously for the attention of Members at this meeting, in order that as part of its determination of the next steps in the process the Cabinet might have full regard to the responsibilities placed upon it to exercise its Public Sector Equality Duty, under s149 of the Equality Act 2010.

The Assessment related to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 176