Every few years, the lime trees around The Green need to be pollarded (pruned) to ensure they do not get out of hand and stay healthy. Tandridge District Council (TDC) will be doing this work at the end of March 2023.
Unfortunately, at least one of the trees – the furthest east on the south side – needs to be felled. It has been traffic damaged over the years and is now unsafe. A further tree may have to be felled, but this will not be confirmed until tree surgeons have been able to inspect it higher up.
It is currently planned to carry out the work on March 27-29, one day being used for each side of The Green, but Surrey County Council Highways will have to confirm that these are suitable dates for traffic management, as, for safety, the part of the road directly below the trees will have to be closed off. To ensure traffic can continue to flow, the parking bays on each side will be suspended in turn, as the work is being carried out.
These dates are provisional and await confirmation by Surrey Highways.
Again unfortunately, the work will inevitably cause significant damage – possibly total – to the Christmas lights. As a result, it may take the Warlingham Lights Committee a number of years to bring the display back to its recent standard.
A large tree on the north side of The Green, which had been scheduled for felling, has been saved following an ultrasound scan by an expert which showed that the tree is sound. The scan had been funded by Warlingham Parish Council.
It is being proposed that any tree or trees that need to be felled are replaced with new planting by TDC working in conjunction with the Parish Council. If so, then Warlingham residents will be consulted.