Storm Éowyn clean-up continues in West Lothian

The council’s team of arborists and contractors worked throughout the red weather warning to clear trees that had fallen on public roads.

Some 800 calls were received in four days from January 24. Teams were out during the storm and in the immediate aftermath clearing roads and paths of debris.

Supported by rangers, tree inspectors and other council staff, the team are working their way through tree issues caused by the storm.

When safe to do so, sites were surveyed to ensure the most critical jobs were attended to first, such as trees posing potential dangers or blocking major roads.

In some cases, the team were unable to clear trees for safety reasons, such as in Kirknewton, where a tree was on a power line and required Scottish Power Energy Networks to attend.

Work is still ongoing to clear up the damage caused by Storm Éowyn. Some sites were made safe at the time but will require further work when resources allow.

At a recent meeting, David Lees from the the NETs Land and Countryside team, said: “West Lothian did suffer a significant amount of damage to the tree stock across the county.

“The council’s own arborists and contractors carried out work initially to clear trees that were blocking roads and footpaths. They have cleared the dangerous stuff and will have to revisit quite a few sites.

“In the last week the team has been carrying out surveys of woodland sites.”

Fellow team member Simon Scott said: “We have lost thousands of trees. It was a unique event.

“The particular number has not been fully quantified yet. In context, we have hundreds of thousands of trees that the council is responsible for maintaining.”

In some locations, deadwood has been left to increase biodiversity – either as monoliths, which is where a standing dead tree has branches removed and the trunk remains, or as habitat, left in place to provide a home for wildlife and nature.

Tom Conn, executive councillor for the environment and sustainability, said: “Huge thanks to everyone in the council who worked to keep services going during and after Storm Éowyn.

“Our arborists and contractors played a vital role in ensuring safety and keeping roads and paths accessible in the aftermath of the storm, as did all the other staff who supported this essential work.

“Thanks also to our communities who reported fallen trees. Your patience as we continue with clearance work is appreciated.

“The team continue to be very busy dealing with issues created by the high winds, and work will be ongoing over the coming months.

“Some dead trees are left as monoliths, decaying naturally to provide a nature habitat and promote biodiversity.

“Please don’t remove any deadwood or cut timber you find, as it may have been left in place deliberately to support the natural environment.”

To report any tree-related issues, please visit https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/article/75194/Tree-Related-Issues-and-Enquiries.