Palm trees to be removed from seafront

Two palm trees on a town's seafront are to be replaced because they are causing structural issues to a road and promenade.

The trees were installed on the Esplanade in Weymouth, Dorset, in the run-up to the Olympic Games events in the town in 2012 but were meant to be a temporary measure.

They have grown significantly, damaging their stonework planters and pushing out roots, making the area around them uneven.

Weymouth Town Council's environment and services committee has voted to repair the planters and replace the trees with smaller cabbage palm trees at a cost of £10,000.

The committee's agenda described how the temporary trees had been "welcomed by the public" and have remained in place for 12 years, having "thrived in their locations".

But the areas where they were planted were "never properly prepared for the long term", it said.

"Doing nothing and leaving the palm trees is not an option, as the current issues will get worse and increase the risks and costs," the agenda reads.

Council officers have been unable to find a way to relocate the trees so they are expected to be disposed of.

However, the authority will adhere to its tree policy where, for every tree taken out, two trees will be planted in a Weymouth green space.

The council also plans to replace planters damaged by coach crashes, make good the promenade surface and install 15 new cast metal bollards to increase public safety.

A further five trees are expected to require managing in the future when they also become too big for their planters.

Councillors voted to repeat the replacement process with these trees when the time comes.

The new smaller palm trees are expected to require further management in about 10 years time.

The agenda also cautioned that there was no guarantee the new trees would survive at the location, as one of the original trees had to be removed.

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