By Don Mort
Up to £4.5m will be spent dealing with diseased ash trees at risk of collapsing onto roads and public spaces around the city.
Leeds City Council is set to award a four-year contract to survey and remove trees with ash dieback disease.
The exotic fungal disease destroys up to 95 per cent of trees that become infected,
A council report said more than 1,000 trees affected by the condition had already been removed and 236 pruned.
It is said to be the most severe tree disease since Dutch elm disease, which took hold in the UK from the 1960s onwards.
The report said: “Infected trees are now commonplace across Leeds, alongside public highways, within parks, open spaces, country estates and private grounds.
“Once infected, between 85 per cent and 95 per cent-plus of ash trees may die, although the precise number is difficult to predict.”
The value of the contract was estimated at £750,000 per year over four years, the report said.
The council said it was aiming to replace diseased trees felled at a ratio of five to one.
The report said: “The proposed contract will support the council in mitigating the risks associated with ash dieback and surveying the trees for ongoing deterioration, and removing any trees required in a safe way.
“Due to the nature of the services and safety aspects required, this work may have impacts on public roads, parks and other areas that may need to closed off.”
During the summers of 2023 – 2025, surveys were carried out using artificial intelligence (AI) ahead of a longer-term scheme to tackle the disease.
The decision to procure a contractor is out for consultation, due to it being worth more than £500,000 per year.
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