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Essential works to remove hundreds of trees Infected with ash dieback on the A541, Mold to Denbigh Road

Published: 27/10/2022

Flintshire begins  tree felling work on 31 October  on the A541 between Mold and Denbigh to remove roadside ash trees infected with ash dieback. A rolling road closure will commence in Hendre, progressing to Star Cross and Nannerch and end at Afonwen. It is anticipated that the works will continue for a 3 week period.  Apologies for the inconvenience and any disruptions caused due to the road closures. 

Work begins on 31 October to cut down hundreds of Council owned ash trees adjacent to the A541, Mold to Denbigh Road. The trees to be removed are infected with a disease known as ash dieback and it is to ensure the safety of road users that the work must be undertaken.

Cllr David Healey, Cabinet member for Climate change and Economy, said: “It's upsetting we’re losing so many of our ash trees. However, if no action is taken there is a significant risk of diseased trees falling onto the carriageway.  This work will protect road users from such a risk and is a welcome start to the winter ash dieback work programme.  I would like to reassure the public our teams are working hard to source funding for replanting works in the future.”

Ash dieback is an airborne fungal infection that affects ash trees and was first identified in Flintshire 2015. It is accepted that every ash tree in the county has been exposed and will be affected to some degree.  It is widely acknowledged by the industry that the disease will kill around 80% of ash trees and that a further 20% are likely to be killed by a secondary infection as trees lose their vigour and become susceptible other tree diseases.  

Even though some trees may look healthy they can still be infected. The fungus grows inside the tree, eventually blocking its water transport systems and causing the trees shoots and branches to dieback resulting in eventual death. The infection affects the structural integrity of the tree which is why the diseased trees must be removed due to the risk of collapse onto the highway. 

The tree work planned on the Mold to Denbigh Road is the first of the season. Further work will continue across the county to remove infected Council owned ash trees adjacent to the highway.  In addition, there are trees adjacent to the highway that are privately owned and it is important that tree owners regularly inspect their trees to ensure the safety of road users. To assist, Flintshire County Council is writing to tree owners on priority routes where the presence of ash dieback has been noted to highlight the need to inspect their trees and carry out any recommended work. It is important the Council and landowners remove infected ash trees to reduce any risk to the public. 

For further information please visit our tree page where you can find the Flintshire Ash Dieback Action Plan. If you are the owner of an ash tree, The Tree Council produces a booklet called “ Ash Dieback Disease-A Guide for Tree Owners” that may be of use and can be found on their website. 

Flintshire Tree web page

Tree Council information