Fife Council feared 'unhealthy' trees would fall onto path

Councillor Gordon Pryde investigated a complaint from a local resident who highlighted the cull at the west end of Chamberfield Road, near the path to Townhill Country Park.

Fife Council's tree protection officer told him that all six trees were in such poor condition that they could have "failed" in stormy weather and fallen onto the walking route next to it.

The beech trees near Chamberfield Road, before six of them were cut down. (Image: Google Maps)

Cllr Pryde said: "It is always regrettable when fine looking mature trees are cut down, but I am happy with the responses that confirm that their felling was appropriate.

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"Wherever possible the felling of mature trees should be objected to but in this case, I accept that due to the underlying health issues that the trees were suffering from that felling was the correct course of action.

"Given that the trees also border a drive and that walkers would regularly walk near the trees then this is a further factor in agreeing to that felling."

He added that to offset their loss, new trees will be planted.

Councillor Gordon Pryde took this photo after the trees had been cut down. (Image: Cllr Gordon Pryde)

The initial enquiry asked why the "beautiful beech trees" had been culled.

The council confirmed that all six were suffering from "clear health decline and showing signs of impaired structure, such that a high enough risk was present to warrant removal".

Two had been 'colonised' by a soft rot fungus, another had "fungal brackets of an unknown species", as well as heart rot and malformed wood, while another two were infected by a pest that led to "large sheets of bark sloughing off".

The officer added that some of the affected beech trees had "multiple cavities large enough that you could see through the entire stem and out the other side".