PLACE137 Highway Tree Survey: Identifying and Recording Ash Trees and Ash Dieback Disease in Derbyshire

Descriptions

Ash dieback is a fungal disease thought to have originated in eastern Asia and imported into mainland Europe in the 1990s, it has spread rapidly across the continent with the first recorded case in the UK in 2012. The disease is usually fatal for young ash trees and can kill saplings within one growing season. Larger mature ash with the infection is thought to be more tolerant or declines at a slower rate over several years. The County Council has identified its highway network as the highest priority to begin ash Dieback surveys due to the high level of public risk from failing trees. Derbyshire's highway network is large and consists of approximately 5340km in total, made up of 1162km A & B roads and 4178km of C and unclassified roads. This procurement is for a highway tree survey in the 2022/23 financial year. Further surveys will be commissioned in subsequent years based on the initial findings.