Topic ID 1047
other than saving cost on sweeping up the fallen leaves, why do the council pollard trees? In a conservation area you need permission (I beleive) to chop down a tree over 5ft tall, so it's ok to drastically mutilate never-before pollarded mature trees? Warren Park Road (& I'm sure, many other areas in Hertford) once had beautiful trees. Now they are bald at the top and so heavily sprouting at the bottom that the pavements are narrowed to damp-legged single file and people drive down the middle of the road to avoid driving through thicket. Leaves are slippery when rotting, agreed. But this is a flat and level road where the pavements have grass verges. Pollarding may save the council money scraping up leaves in the short term, but they create additional problems and a long-term poorer environment to boot.