Lancaster City Council deals with aftermath of high winds
Lancaster City Council's tree gang was kept busy over the weekend as high winds hit the North West.
Lancaster City Council's tree gang was kept busy over the weekend as high winds hit the North West. The gales, which were unusual for June, damaged a number of trees around the district.
One of the most serious incidents took place on Sunday (June 22) when a tree on Westminster Road in Morecambe was blown into a house. The call came in at around 6.30pm and the council dispatched a team to assess the situation.
Fortunately the damage was relatively minor and included a smashed window and damaged guttering. There were no injuries but the tree had to be removed as it was in a dangerous position. The tree was taken away using a crane at around 10pm.
Also in Morecambe the council's tree gang had to deal with a number of trees in Happy Mount Park which had broken branches.
In Lancaster the council's tree gang dealt with trees on Ryelands Park, Scotch Quarry and the Newton estate, all of which had broken branches.
General calls were also received from all over the district regarding branches hanging over roads and blocking paths.
Mark Davies, head of City Council (Direct) Services, said: "One of the major problems we have encountered is that because the trees are in leaf there is nowhere for the wind to go when it hits them.
"During the winter months the wind tends to blow through the branches but the leaves mean that is impossible. As a result quite a few trees have been unable to take the strain.
"Our staff have worked extremely hard over the weekend to deal with these problems and they will also be kept busy dealing with the aftermath of these gales for the rest of the week."
Date Updated: 19/03/09