The Utrera Town Hall will remove the large pine tree from Consolación Park after technicians confirmed an internal crack that makes it dangerous. In its place, three ash and elm trees will be planted to restore shade in the playground area.
Workers from Parques y Jardines of the Utrera Town Hall have detected a deep crack in the trunk of the large pine (Pinus halepensis) in Consolación Park, near the children's play area. The alarm was raised during routine maintenance work when they found the crack in the wood while cleaning the lower branches.
Given the seriousness of the finding, the council commissioned a study from the environmental consultancy Tecnigral S.L., which confirmed that the specimen suffers from a high risk of fracture and poses a real danger to passers-by. Arborists used a crane and precision technology, such as a resistograph, to assess the internal condition of the tree.
“The specimen suffers from a high risk of fracture and poses a real danger to passers-by”
The report details that, although the pine appears green and seemingly full of life, it harbours a critical wound inside: a longitudinal fissure with an external opening of 4 centimetres that penetrates more than 16 centimetres into the heart of the wood. According to the technicians, the constant overload on a joint that was already anatomically weak has ultimately opened that crack, making its conservation impossible.
The tree, measuring 24 metres in height, 85 centimetres in trunk diameter, and with a crown projection of 15 metres, is located in a very busy area close to the children's playground. Keeping a structure weighing thousands of kilos in that condition could have severe consequences.
The report reminds that this pine grew sheltered by other trees of its size that formed a natural cushion against the wind. However, storms a decade ago led to the removal of pines and other large trees in the area, leaving the specimen more exposed to the wind's assault.
The delegate for Parks and Gardens, José Mª Méndez, explained that specialists have ruled out all options to save the tree as none could eliminate the risk to the public. To compensate for the loss and the lack of shelter that the area has experienced since the last renovation, the Utrera Town Hall will carry out immediate reforestation with three new specimens of suitable species.
“We are going to carry out immediate reforestation by planting three new specimens of suitable species that develop broad crowns to restore shade to Consolación Park”
These will be ash and elm trees, species with broad crowns and fast growth, which will be planted in the same area. With this measure, the council aims for the children's playground to regain the lost shade and for the park to maintain its function as a climatic refuge for the residents.
The removal of the pine will take place in the coming days, according to municipal sources, and the planting of the new trees will be immediate to minimise the visual and environmental impact in one of the busiest green spaces in Utrera.
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