Sir, We must thank John Tipton for his letter to the council concerning the chestnut trees in South Parade. One point not touched on by John is whether or not the tree roots are causing damage to the drains in the area. I remember last year repairs being carried out to the De Valence drains just outside the town walls and some dark mutterings that the roots of the trees in South Parade were the problem. Perhaps the first issue to be addressed is that of whether the tree roots are or have caused damage to the drains, a routine task for any specialist drainage engineer. The condition of the drains needs to be ascertained and a decision made whether any or all of the drains have to be re-laid. Any decision taken on what action is to be taken on the trees before this has been established could be said to be premature. Pruning trees by specialists is normal in an urban environment to keep the trees within the limits that are considered appropriate. The responsibility for this ongoing maintenance lies with the county council; perhaps they could look at our problem and arrange for the necessary work to be carried out. I am afraid the council were probably misled if they were advised that a chestnut tree would not grow higher than the town walls. One only has to look at the magnificent chestnut trees in St. Florence to see what this species is capable of achieving when allowed to grow unchecked. However, there is no good reason why these healthy, still relatively young trees in South Parade should not remain for many years to come if they are properly maintained. The opinion of the National Parks, who recently reminded us that all work to maintain or remove trees needs to be approved by them, would usefully be sought at an early stage. South Parade is both within the Park and Conservation Areas. The real power and responsibility lies with the county council, since the town council can only request that work is done. In the past, this was not the case as the town council had more powers, but strong support for them and our two county councillors now could help to find a more local approach to Tenby's annual maintenance.
Alistair Mackay, Secretary, Tenby Walled Town Residents Association,
Sheerwater, 4 St. Julian Terrace, Tenby.