Council BANS apple, pear and plum trees from new £40,000 scheme

Council BANS apple, pear and plum trees from new £40,000 scheme to revive resort fearing that yobs might throw fruit at locals and tourists

• Committee met to discuss renewed bid to create ‘avenue feel’ along South Quay
• Great Yarmouth council said fruits that are too big might be used as ‘missiles’
• The council says it is only going to plant trees which pass the ‘small fruit test’
• Ornamental cherry trees, with very small fruit, are planned for the quayside 

A council has banned apple, pear and plum trees from a new £40,000 scheme because they fear fruit could be thrown at tourists and residents.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s environment committee met to discuss a renewed bid to create an ‘avenue feel’ along the historic South Quay.

The council has been given £40,000 of Town Deal government money to replace those dug up ten years ago when they failed to flourish. 

It is part of a wider scheme to ‘improve the natural environment across the borough’. 

However, the council’s health and safety team say fruits that are too big might be used as ‘missiles’ and hurled at people.

The council says it is only going to plant trees which pass the ‘small fruit test’.

Council officers said they ‘had received advice that fruit could be used as missiles’ so they had only placed them in the St John’s Walled Garden, not on streets.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s environment committee met to discuss a renewed bid to create an ‘avenue feel’ along the historic South Quay (pictured)

Borough council engineers had to dig up a line of alder that had failed due to the ground conditions, drawing criticism at the time

Ornamental cherry trees, with very small fruit, are planned for the quayside and promenade to keep people safe.

Marlene Fairhead, a councillor and mayor of the town in 2015, told the committee she had worries about the type of trees being planted in South Quay.

‘Would they be fruit trees, because people might slip on the fruit,’ she asked.

Coun Fairhead said: ‘I’m all for planting fruit trees. I have an allotment and I have fruit trees on it.

‘In some places around here they’ve placed fruit trees along the main road, and then you get the fruit dropping all on the pavement and causing a bit of a hazard sometimes.

‘Children pick them up and throw them at each other and they get slippery, and then people slip on them.’

She added: ‘Some of us were concerned that they won’t survive because of the salt water that comes up from the sea so I think that’s caused problems with them trying to grow trees before.’

About 100 trees will be planted along the quayside, famously described by author Daniel Defoe as the finest in England.

Council officers said they ‘had received advice that fruit could be used as missiles’ so they had only placed them in the St John’s Walled Garden, not on streets

It follows several previous attempts – which have all failed – since its renovation in 1998.

This time, soil sampling and research had been carried out to give the suggested species the best chance, although officers say there is still a risk, a report states.

Under the Forgotten Places: Greening Coastal Towns and Cities initiative, 505 trees are being planted in the town. So far 86 have been planted and 205 are going in between November and February.

The project is also part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, a tree planting initiative created to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It is predicted to cost over £260,000 in total.

But townsfolk are bemused – local mother Hayley Tarrance said: ‘Surely they have more important things to debate?

‘The economy’s in a state, people are worried how they’re going to make ends meet this winter, and the council is discussing the size of plums.’

Malcolm Matheson posted: ‘The council have gone bananas!’

Marlene Fairhead (above), a councillor and mayor of the town in 2015, told the committee she had worries about the type of trees being planted in South Quay

Leanora Munn wrote: ‘Oh, plant something other than fruit trees then, if you’re so frightened that someone might slip.

‘While you’re at it, perhaps you could install underground heating on the pavements for winter in case they get slippy too.’

Tim Green said: ‘The problem with trees is that they have branches, which can be broken off and used to hit people. Safer to stick to shrubberies.’

Globe Trotter said: ‘So what they need then are oak trees without acorns, chestnut trees without chestnuts or conkers.’

Kate Hollywood said: ‘Unfortunately we belong to a seriously litigious society; the public sue at the drop of a hat.

‘Parents sue the school if their child falls in the playground and grazes a knee.

‘I’m sure that the council will have taken that into consideration. That’s the world we live in now.’

A council spokesman said: ‘This tree planting programme is about increasing the number of trees in urban areas. We want to make sure that we choose the right trees.’

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