Several mature trees on a popular walking route at our Monksmoor Farm Country Park site, were identified for removal by the Arboriculturist. The country park is a landscape extension to a 1100 houses development in Daventry, nestled between the Grand Union Canal and the Daventry Reservoir & Country Park.

Allen Pyke Associates proposed that these trees be converted to monoliths, an Eco-tree solution, which function is to retain existing habitats whilst creating a safe environment for the public.

As the trees are situated within the Daventry Reservoir Conservation Area, prior to the conversion of these Eco-trees, Allen Pyke adhered to the required process of consulting and notifying the Local Planning Authority.

Our proposals were accepted and Log Piles were formed from the cuttings of precarious branches, and positioned in a small wooded area on site nearby the monoliths. These new Log Piles protect existing habitats, whilst promoting new ones to thrive.

The tree works, supported by the Ecologist Team, were scheduled to avoid bird nesting and bat roosting seasons.

The landscape contractor, Ground Control Ltd., described the task as below:

Height of the trees identified for removal were reduced to a single stem (approx. 5 metres). A Climber coronet cut the top of the tree and in various places on the main stems bore in with a saw to create pockets for potential bat roosts. These trees were also ringbarked to prevent any future growth, allowing the trees to naturally decay creating habitat for insects, birds and potentially bats. Trees will not survive this process and will slowly decay over approx. the next 5 years. Some of the brash and timber were stacked to create habitat piles within the woodland.

We are pleased that this action appeared in the Daventry Express (link).