Extra contractors are helping to clear the fallen trees or where trees have lost branches due to the strong winds of Storm Henk.
In total, the council’s tree team and contractors were dealing with over 80 emergency incidents in the high winds on Tuesday, with this work continuing today (January 3).
Councillor Will Rowlands, Executive Councillor for Environment said that the “sheer ferocity” of the winds caused “significant damage” right across the borough, including to private property.
“Our thoughts are with residents who are having to deal with difficult situations today that has affected their home in some way and of course with the lady who was injured when a tree fell in Orpington”, Councillor Rowlands added.
Bromley Councils team and contractors worked through the night by prioritising removing trees which blocked roads and pavements, and street cleaning crews are set to clear smaller debris in the coming days.
Councillor Rowlands said: “I would like to thank the crews who have braved the weather to clear fallen trees and keep the borough moving, along with all the residents who reported incidents to us.
“In these type of emergency situations, we always ask people to report tree emergencies by phone so we can prioritise in live time and this really helps.
“Whilst it is always sad to lose any tree, our Treemendous tree planting programme is continuing unabated, thereby ensuring our tree lined streets for which our borough is renowned will continue for years to come.”
The high winds prompted the Met Office to upgrade their weather warning forecast to amber, underlining the expected strength of the winds.
Storm Henk follows other stormy high wind weather in recent days, meaning there have now been around 120 emergency incidents since Christmas.
Whilst the extreme high winds have eased, residents are still being reminded that they can still report ‘tree fall emergencies’ 24/7, with advice to call the council for emergency reports that need priority.
Many of the trees have fallen from private property, from nearby gardens, onto the road or pavement.
In these instances, then the council has responded to the emergency situation at the time and will be in contact with the owner of the tree at a later date.
If a council owned tree has caused damage, it may be possible to make a claim, with details available on the council’s website.
