The Parish Council has been exploring options to pollard or significantly reduce the Poplar tree in the tractor park
Poplars are very brittle wood. It is in their nature to shed large branches. Poplars like water are often found next to rivers. It is part of their reproduction cycle to shed branches which are washed down stream and often regenerate as new trees when they land on a bank. It is their asexual reproduction technique. There are two other poplars in the junior football field. They have also lost the majority of their branches over the last few years.
Concern has been raised that the tree, which has been there for many years, is in the wrong place and there has been safety concerns raised by members of the public..
We have received feedback from an Arboricultural Works Supervisor that the tree has high amenity value and is a prominent landmark. The crown also helps to adjoin the nearby canopy of surrounding trees, which is vitally important to the ecosystem in urban areas.
Here are links to the last tree surveys
https://millbrook-pc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/356CTC1224_BS3998_Tree_Work_Schedule_MRG.pdf
https://millbrook-pc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/356CTC1224_BS3998_Tree_Work_Schedule_MC-1.pdf
Although I appreciate the council’s concern re falling large branches from the black poplar tree (Tree Inspection Report reference T1292), particularly as it is near the path / highway, and proximity to the children’s play area, the Tree Consultancy Inspection report concludes that the tree presents an acceptable region of risk ie “From my assessment, the risk of harm from tree T1292 is estimated to fall within the broadly acceptable region of risk within the tolerability of risk framework.” If the author of the report’s recommendations are followed, and no serious risk, defect and / or hazard is found, there is no reason to fell this important visual amenity with immense ecological value. In which case, I would suggest that the council consider applying for a Tree Preservation Order (TPO), that has been successful for old Poplar trees, provided it meets the criteria of being a significant local amenity and is considered worthy of protection by the local planning authority
The local authority criteria will be based on:
• Species/Age: TPOs can cover any species or size of tree, including old/mature Poplars.
• Visibility: The tree should generally be visible to the public, contributing to the landscape or townscape character.
• Significance: Factors like size, form, rarity, and historical or cultural value make a tree more likely to receive a TPO.
• Health: While the tree should be in reasonable condition, TPOs can be used to protect trees that are under threat.
Known for their rapid growth, Poplar Trees possess weak, brittle wood and shallow root systems, making them highly susceptible to windthrow, storm damage, and branch breakage.
REASONS FOR FALLING AND HAZARD RISKS
Structural Weakness & Falling Hazards: Poplars often develop internal hollowing and decay, especially after previous pruning, causing them to become brittle. They are notorious for breaking limbs and collapsing, particularly during high winds.
Weak Wood & Shallow Roots: The combination of brittle wood that shatters under stress and shallow, sometimes uneven root systems makes them unstable, particularly in high winds or saturated soil.
Rapid Growth Issues: Their quick growth often leads to weak branch unions, which are prone to splitting.
Short Lifespan/Decay: Poplars are relatively short-lived and prone to trunk rot and infections, which compromises their structural integrity over time. This is worsened by invasive plants such as Ivy which further weaken the trunk and leach nutrients/water.
Damage Potential: Because they are often tall, falling poplars or dropped branches can cause significant damage to nearby homes, vehicles, and utility lines.
MANAGEMENT AND RISK REDUCTION
1. Avoid Topping: Never top a poplar tree, as this encourages weak, fast-growing epicormic shoots that make the tree even more prone to breaking later.
2. Pruning: Regularly prune deadwood and maintain the canopy to reduce weight, but avoid excessive trimming.
3. Professional Inspection: Due to their inherent risks, it is recommended to have a certified arborist inspect large poplars, particularly if they are close to structures.
Feedback sent to Cllr Elworthy from a professional
You mentioned the discussion about the mature poplar at Milbrook Tractor Park, so I’ve written down a few technical points that might be helpful background when the council discusses the tree.
These are general arboricultural observations only, not a formal inspection, report, or quotation. I have no formal interest in tendering for this contract.
The tree appears to be a large mature Poplar (Populus spp.) located directly beside a children’s play area and the public highway, which places it in what experienced arborists would consider a high target area. It is either a Hybrid Black Poplar or a Grey Poplar but without a closer look I cannot say for certain which it is. However the same applies to both species. In situations like this, the main objective of any urban tree work is normally to meaningfully reduce the likelihood and consequences of limb failure over areas where people regularly pass or gather.
One factor worth considering is wind loading on the canopy. Large mature poplars tend to develop tall, upright limbs with substantial end weight, particularly where the canopy is dense and slightly asymmetric. In engineering terms these limbs act as long lever arms. During high winds, the force exerted on the foliage increases rapidly with canopy surface area, and that force is transferred down the limb to the main structural unions. On a tree approaching this scale, the resulting bending stress and torsional loading on those unions can be considerable.
Because the lever arm remains almost the same length, very light pruning (for example a 5–10% reduction) generally has little effect on those forces. Most of the canopy mass, sail area and leverage remain in place, meaning the mechanical loading on the primary limbs changes very little during wind events.
It is also relevant that Poplars are one of the genera commonly associated with sudden limb failures, specifically the phenomenon referred to as summer branch drop. This phenomenon typically occurs during warm, still weather rather than storms. Large limbs that appear externally healthy can fail without warning, often during periods of high transpiration and internal moisture stress within the wood. While the exact mechanism is still debated, it is widely observed in mature trees with large horizontal limbs carrying significant end weight. Failures often occur near the limb attachment where internal stresses concentrate.
Because of this characteristic, experienced arborists generally take a more cautious management approach with large mature Poplars in areas where people regularly gather, particularly when the canopy is heavy and extended.
Another practical issue is that dense ivy growth currently obscures the main stem and several primary unions. That makes it difficult to visually assess those critical structural points from ground level for potential defects such as decay, cracks or included bark. In many cases the ivy would need to be cleared to allow a proper inspection of those areas.
Where you want to meaningfully reduce wind loading and limb stress in large mature Poplars, the options that are commonly discussed by experienced arborists tend to involve either:
• a substantial structural reduction, or
• establishing a pollarding framework, where appropriate for the tree and site.
Minor cosmetic pruning usually has limited structural effect on a tree of this size.
Again, these notes are simply general arboricultural considerations, as I haven’t carried out a full inspection of the tree.
If the decision maker does decide to move forward with work, it would normally be sensible to seek direct input from experienced arboricultural contractors who regularly deal with large mature trees in public spaces and urban areas. Like I previously stated I have not made a formal tree assessment on this tree and therefore this is just generic advice for trees of this species in locations like this.
Hope that’s useful for the discussion.
It is significant to note that the tree, in question, according to an ‘Arboricultural Works Supervisor’ is considered to have ‘high amenity value and is a prominent landmark. The crown also helps to adjoin the nearby canopy of surrounding trees, which is vitally important to the ecosystem in urban areas’. It is also significant to add that Poplars are connected underground to other Poplars in the area, a feature which provides them with substantial stability and resistance to high winds. The persistent and powerful winds which we have experienced during this winter suggests that these Poplars have high durability and strength, enabling them to resist the forces of such inclement weather conditions. It is of further significance that the comments above assert that ‘Poplars like water’. I would suggest that this is a huge understatement: Poplars are capable of drawing gallons of water up through their trunk, through their branches and up to their crown. Again, as we have seen this winter, the area around the Tractor Park, including the main road up to Southdown, is highly prone and susceptible to flooding. Considering such emergencies in this time of climate breakdown, it seems obvious that mature trees of this kind have to been seen, not simply as an ‘amenity’, but as an absolute necessity for our health, well being and possibly survival. So, to fell this beautiful and hugely valuable tree would be, in my view and in relation to the points made here, an indiscriminate and destructive act of lunacy. There might be a case for engaging in some very careful, judicious and professionally informed trimming of some of the longer branches and not the kinds of barbaric and rapacious, so called ‘pollarding’, that some local authorities engage in, as a means of carefully and sympathetically addressing the safety issues mentioned here in the writing above.
I am very grateful to Millbrook Parish Council for allowing space for comments of this kind to be made; I hope the above points are carefully taken into consideration when any further actions are planned and that the local community will be informed of these and given the opportunity to further comment should the need arise.
Thank you
Ken Gale
It is always a shame when a tree has to be felled or reduced, but in my opinion (having seen the size of the branches that this particular tree has already dropped) this tree is a risk, being so close to an area which is regularly used by a lot of people. Hopefully the great work that the council is doing in partnership with various organisations to increase the number of trees all around the local green spaces will more than make up for the loss of one majestic specimen!
I agree completely with Hill’s opinion and believe this tree should be felled.
There are plenty of opportunities for new trees in this general area, also with the new hedging that has been added providing more natural habitats, but safety around a children’s playground should be paramount here.
The other professional opinions received should be included in this article as it reads very biased as if this “Arboricultural Works Supervisor” is the main source of professional feedback with people needing to hunt out any other views on the topic.