Many people ask about the Trees and Rhododendrons that have been felled and removed for the estate. Here are a few details about the disease that affected them.

What is it?
Phytophthora ramorum is a plant disease that kills several species of trees. The disease is spread by transfer of spores either windborne, by contact with humans or animals, or carried on plant material.

Is it harmful to humans or animals?
There is no evidence of it affecting any other species.
Any bio security operations that have been carried out were to to prevent the spread of the disease to other trees.

Where is it?
Within St.Ives it is detected on rhododendrons which act as a carrier of the disease and was on Larch and sweet chestnut trees in Betty’s wood.

Article from the Telegraph & Argus 7th Feb 2023

4,000 trees in woodland to be felled to prevent spread of disease

A SWATHE of trees in an ancient woodland will be chopped down to prevent the spread of a deadly disease.

The Forestry Commission has issued a notice to Bradford Council urging them to remove trees infected with Larch Tree Disease from the St Ives Estate in Bingley.

The disease can be deadly to trees, and Bradford Council’s Trees and Woodlands team will begin clearing the infected trees early next month – a process that is likely to last six months.

Around 4,000 trees are likely to be felled as part of the work.

Many of the trees to be felled were planted in the 1940s to replace trees cut down to provide timber for the war effort.

The disease mostly affects larch and sweet chestnut but is also hosted by rhododendron and is highly infectious, causing ‘sudden death’ in trees.

The Forestry Commission has this week issued a Statutory Plant Health Notice requiring the Council to fell diseased trees to prevent it spreading to other commercial forest plantations.

Invasive rhododendron, which is a host for the disease, will also be cleared at the same time, as part of a plan to regenerate the ancient native woodland which dates back to the early 19th Century.

The work will be carried out at the western side of the estate, between Coppice Pond and Keighley Road known as Lady Blantyre’s Wood.

Some trees will also be removed from Bingley St Ives Golf Club to the North.

Felling operations are expected to begin on March 1 and be completed by September 1.

The felled trees will be dealt with by contractors licensed to handle infected trees, and sent away for processing in to saw logs, fencing and woodchip.

The work will mean that some routes and areas of woodland will be closed when machines are operating.

The Keighley Road entrance will be closed Monday to Friday to visitors and through traffic, but will be open during the weekends.

St Ives was first struck with the disease in 2014 when Betty’s Woodland was cleared. This area was restocked with both planted and naturally regenerating native trees.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, portfolio holder for Healthy People and Places said: “We appreciate that the felling will cause some disruption to visitors to St Ives and it will dramatically alter its appearance until regeneration and new planting gets underway. 

“We ask that everyone observes the temporary access restrictions and closures so that work can be completed quickly and safely.  Once the felling is complete we will be running a number of community planting days to restock the cleared areas.”

How did it affect St Ives ?
Larch is a nationally important commercial forestry crop.
to protect stocks the forestry Commission imposed a statutory plant health notice orderering the removal of Larch and sweet chestnut trees in an area of Betty’s wood.

What was Involved?
Contractors licenced to deal with infected trees carried out the necessary felling and removal of the Larch and sweet chestnut.

These were the oak ‘plugs’ that we planted.

We checked on some in September they looked to have taken and doing well!

In January 2024 Members of the public and friends of St Ives joined up with Bradford Council and planted 1000 Oak trees over a couple of sessions.
Planted in groups of five above and below the path.