Woking Borough Council acquired the Brookwood Cemetery site late in 2014. The cemetery spans 232 acres of land and beautifully mature gardens.
South Bucks Tree Surgeons were awarded a programme of tree works at Brookwood following an independent arboricultural survey that identified a large number of trees infected with the Phaeolus schweinitzii fungus.
Ian Tomes, Woking Borough Council’s Strategic Asset Manager, said: “The recently acquired Brookwood Cemetery is one of Woking’s most important assets, so it is vital that it is maintained carefully. This is the first phase of a wider management plan to restore the Cemetery’s structural and environmental heritage and, whilst it is sad to see the removal of these trees, it is a necessary step to ensure the continued safety of staff and visitors to the Cemetery.”
241 trees within the site required urgent works on the grounds of health and safety. Of these, 205 trees required felling, with 78 requiring immediate action.
Before works commence, South Bucks Tree Surgeons worked in partnership with the Surrey Wildlife Trust ensuring that each tree was individually assessed for bird, bee and bat activity to ensure disruption to wildlife was minimised.
The successfully tendered for project, required South Bucks Tree Surgeons Ltd to utilise our most trusted team of tree surgeons as many of the trees’ canopies were situated above grave stones and mausoleums of significant importance.
Charlie Macbeth, Director for South Bucks Tree Surgeons said:
“We recognised immediately just how important this site was, for our team it was essential that each tree was dismantled with the most extreme care. We wanted visitors and staff at the cemetery to experience minimal disruption during the 3 month project.
Risk assessments and method statements detailing all works were prepared in advance and a schedule of works was provided to allow Woking Borough Council and the Cemetery Team complete visibility of the activities. Weekly progress reports emailed every Friday to ensure that everyone involved was kept up to date throughout the 3 month programme.
The project was completed within the pre agreed timescales and revenue from the over 300 tonnes of timber extraction was returned to the council.”
Jill Macbeth, Director said:
“We were delighted to be involved in this very special project, the success came from everyone working completely transparently and the attention to detail put into the planning phase by everyone. I am very proud of our tree surgeons, the level of care they demonstrated was phenomenal. This initiative has been one of our most enjoyable projects in 40 years of trade.”