Row of apple trees in Cottam to be cut down after disease strikes

A row of apple trees that runs through a Preston suburb is to be cut down after they were struck by disease.

The soon-to-be-uprooted specimens – which line a footpath in Cottam – have been hit by ‘apple canker’.

The fungus that causes the condition gives affected trees an “unsightly” appearance, according to a report to be presented to Preston City Council’s cabinet. The disease can also stunt their growth – and even kill them off altogether.

Cottam Parish Council has now agreed to fund a near £21,500 project to replace the blighted trees, which bestride the path that lies parallel to Greenfinch Avenue, running from the Lancaster Canal, across Cottam Way and through to Greenside. The city authority is set to accept the funding to carry out the work at its cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Members will be told that the diseased trees have become a “public safety concern”, because of the ability of apple canker to weaken and kill individual branches, making them more prone to storm damage.

The six species of replacement tree will include beach and hawthorn types, providing what the cabinet report describes as a “diverse mix” – and one that it is hoped will be “more successful” than the Malus apple variety currently in the location.

The document adds: “They will also fulfil the aesthetic aspirations of the parish council and …will enable greater adaptability to climate change and enhance the area’s biodiversity.”

The parish authority carried out a consultation with residents about its plans and subsequently agreed to cover the cost of the scheme, which includes £1,800 of landscape design fees.

The replacement trees will be a combination of the amelanchier arborea ‘Robin Hill’, crataegus prunifolia ‘Splendens’, fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’, liquidambar styraciflua ‘Lane Roberts’, prunus padus ‘Albertii’ and prunus pandora varieties.

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