A cherry tree on Halesmare Avenue in Mitcham will sadly, but unavoidably be removed due to its poor condition.  

Merton Council’s Arboriculture team inspected the tree and carried out a resistograph assessment which found the tree to have a high level of decay in its trunk. 

The cherry tree is located on a footpath area, near a local school with parking adjacent to it and could cause considerable damage if left untouched.  

As part of the council’s routine tree planting programme, the tree will be replaced over the next year. By replacing the damaged tree as part of the usual planting programme, the council can make sure that the correct species is planted at the best time of year for it to grow successfully.  

Merton is one of the greenest boroughs in London and the borough’s trees really help to make the area beautiful and green. Trees not only make the streets look more attractive, they are also vital to making the air around us cleaner to breathe and improve people’s health and wellbeing.  

The council is currently developing a Tree Management Strategy for Council-Owned Trees. Your views, your opinions and your local knowledge are vital to the process. Tell the council what you think about trees and what should be included in Merton’s new Tree Management Strategy.  

Residents can take part in the consultation to have their say on the strategy here. The consultation end date is 28 February 2022. 

This is the first step towards Merton’s Tree Strategy, which will manage all tree canopy cover across the Borough.