The Hurst Street Tree Mystery

If we look at this photograph taken from the corner of Kent Street in 2008 we will that there are no trees. The city council decided that Hurst Street would be improved by planting trees along the pavements on the lower part of the street. There had been trees outside the Hippodrome and alongside the Arcadian for many years and they were a welcome part of the street’s ambience.

So, a scheme was started that widened the pavement and ten trees were planted on the west side of Hurst Street, northwards from opposite Skinner Lane to within about 30 yards of Bromsgrove Street ……. however, things didn’t go well!

The trees thrived. They grew with great enthusiasm. By 2012, within three years of being planted they were HUGE! But by 2018 it was decided that enough is enough and they were becoming dangerous. The Birmingham Mail declared: “Dismay as trees chopped down in Hurst Street – because they’re the ‘WRONG KIND'”

This is what the newspaper went on to say: “You’ve heard of the “wrong kind of snow” – now there’s the wrong kind of trees. A row of trees which line a street in Birmingham city centre have been chopped down because they’re “the wrong kind” and also “dangerous”. Workmen came and felled the trees in Hurst Street – much to the dismay of locals. It was because an inspection had found the eight trees were deemed to be a risk to public safety. They were starting to grow spikes on their trunks and were also leaning dangerously.

The Southside BID, which manages the area, blamed the council in 2019 saying:  “The trees put in by the council ten years ago were the wrong species causing them to grow sharp spikes from the trunk (currently eye level). Plus they had also begun to lean dangerously into the road. They will be replaced by more suitable trees ASAP.”

A spokesman for the highways contractor working on behalf of the city council, confirmed the trees had been chopped down. “Our priority is to ensure that the public are safe. We removed eight trees from Hurst Street after they were inspected recently and failed a structural integrity test. Owing to concerns about public safety, we acted swiftly to remove the trees and will be grinding back the stumps in the coming days. All eight trees will be replaced during the forthcoming planting season (October to March).” [Note – We counted ten trees, not eight!]

Back to Kent Street then to find out what was down there.