AN APPLICATION to cut back problem trees has been submitted due to ongoing concerns from residents nearby.

Thomlison Junior School has submitted an application to Allerdale Borough Council to cut back six trees by 30 per cent due to concerns from residents living below.

An application had to be made as the overgrown trees are within a conservation area at the school on High Street, Wigton.

The applicant said: “The residents living below them are constantly expressing concern to the school that they get very worried during high winds and stay in the front of their house, worried that they are serious risk from the trees.”

An application to cut the trees back by 30 per cent and bring them in line with the rest on site was made after seeking a tree survey from Cumbria County Council and QTRA.

Although it was found that the trees posed “no significant risk of harm” the county council agreed to apply for permission to have them cut back.

In their tree survey, the council said: “The report is valid only for typical weather conditions. Healthy trees or parts of healthy trees may fail in abnormal weather conditions and as such the consequences of such are unforeseeable. Cumbria County Council cannot be held liable for any such failures.”

Recommendations have been made in the council’s report to ensure the work is carried out in a safe and unobtrusive way.

The council recommends that access is prevented to areas near trees during stormy weather and that the site is checked for broken and hung up branches following a storm.

Contractors must be fully qualified and hold public liability and employer’s insurance for the work undertaken.

The juvenile trees are not subject to a tree preservation order.

Planning applications submitted to council for approval can be viewed and commented on by the public via the Allerdale Borough Council planning portal: https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/planning-building-control/planning-applications/

The planning panel will take comments of support or objection into account when they consider whether or not to give applications the greenlight.