Tackling Ash Dieback in Uckfield’s woodlands

Ash dieback made its presence felt in Uckfield in 2020 and a number of ash trees have unfortunately been affected within the town since then.

Uckfield Town Council has been commissioning surveys on its tree stock over the past two years - working with the Forestry Commission, Arboricultural Association and other experts to identify infected trees, assess the current health of the tree and consider the possible works required. This has been a phased process, which has enabled us to look at specific areas at a time.

What is Ash Dieback?

Ash Dieback is a condition caused by a fungus introduced into Britain fairly recently. The fungus has spread quite rapidly and is highly lethal to our native ash trees. Total losses of native ash are expected to be between 70-95% within the country. Younger trees are highly susceptible but large mature trees, especially those that stand alone seem to be able to co-exist with the disease for some time. Ash trees are very common in our part of the world forming a key component of our woodlands.

Phased approach

In our next phase we will be working in Boothland Wood and the work is expected to take up to two weeks to complete. Subject to the weather, the works are due to commence week beginning 14 November 2022. Users of the wood will see notices advising them of the works taking place and banksmen will be onsite to monitor the works and pedestrian safety. Uckfield Town Council apologises for any inconvenience the works may cause.

The work to remove the diseased trees will ensure the safety of users of the woodland, and by carrying out the works now, it will pre-empt any bad weather during the winter months when high winds and wet ground may pose a danger of the trees coming down.

Tree for a Tree Scheme

The Town Council has implemented a tree planting scheme so that for every tree that has to be removed on Town Council land (due to decay etc), another tree will be planted. In addition to this, the council has been planting trees on a large scale across the town to reduce our impact on the environment and better manage land for nature.