FURIOUS  Barrow residents have demanded answers from council bosses after a rotten tree earmarked as "high priority" for felling crashed down next to a house in strong winds.


DECAY: Fallen tree at Lakeland Avenue in Barrow. PICTURE BY JON GRANGER Homeowners in Lakeland Avenue, say it is "sheer luck" that nobody was injured after the 15m willow tree fell in Storm Henry overnight from Monday into Tuesday.

Residents have pressed Barrow Borough Council for several months over the state of the trees in the Flass Lane, Flass Meadows and Mill Beck area, with six identified as "high priority" for felling by a consultant tree surgeon in March 2015.

No action has been taken to safely chop down the willow trees in the area and neighbours are now furious one was brought down by gusts.

Jason Zaccarini, who lives in Lakeland Avenue, said: "Unfortunately our worst fears came true.
DANGER: The fallen tree at Lakeland Avenue in Barrow. PICTURE BY JON GRANGER

"It's sheer luck no-one was injured. It's unacceptable."

A recent email by Mr Zaccarini to Barrow Borough Council warned something like this would happen if no action was taken.

Dated January 11, he wrote: "I want to take the opportunity to stress that these trees pose a direct health and safety risk to my family and other residents and need to be managed appropriately.

"The council wrote to residents and said work to make the trees safe was due to be done in the autumn 2015 – this never happened."

The tree work orders, available to view on Barrow Borough Council's website, show an inspection identified broken branches and decaying wood on trees next to or hanging over residential properties, roads, pavements and sheds.

Kim Zaccarini, fellow Lakeland Avenue, said: "We are very, very angry. We have given the council substantial warning."

Barrow Borough Council was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Local resident Phil Jackson wants the rest of the trees to be felled according to the tree work orders this winter to avoid it happening again.

He said: "I have been fighting with them for nearly two-and-a-half years.

"A risk assessment by a tree surgeon found they need to be felled.

"They don't seem to want to spend any money on it."