Urgent action is needed to save Huddersfield’s St George’s Square trees from total loss as temperatures soar, says a former chairman.
Former chairman of Huddersfield Civic Society and self-confessed tree hugger, Chris Marsden, has hit out at Kirklees Council’s lack of watering action in Huddersfield town centre as the mercury hit 27C. He said: “Kirkees Council needs to water its trees in the Square that are in planters today (Tues) or it will be too late. Buildings in the Square are being renovated. Are the trees being composted?
“It seems perverse that the council has a planting scheme for New Street in progress when it cannot take care of its current ornamental planting. The council has a history of abandoning planters at the southern end of New Street leaving the celebrated monuments to failure.”
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David Shepherd, Strategic Director for Growth & Regeneration, said: “Unfortunately, in extreme heatwaves like this it’s very difficult to make sure plants stay thriving. Our priority in extreme weather conditions is always making sure that streets are clean and roads are well maintained, for which we carry out regular checks, but beyond this, we do want to keep the town centre attractive and inviting.
“That said, as a council, we have multiple teams that look after general maintenance in Huddersfield town centre, and many assets like planters and trees are also managed by our partners or by other local businesses.
“We’re currently doing a lot of work behind the scenes to streamline our maintenance services, in line with the big town centre developments which are now starting to take shape.”
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