Ealing Liberal Democrats have accused Labour-run Ealing Council of mismanaging tree care services in the borough, claiming contractors are being paid for work that is not being properly carried out.
According to the Lib Dems, locals have voiced concerns to them about the way in which contractors employed by Ealing Council are caring for trees, including how young trees are being grown. Reports include trees being planted in sand and a failure to water newly planted trees regularly – a vital task during their first year, particularly in dry summer months.
The council’s system for recording watering requires contractors to write the date of each watering on a post next to the tree. But residents have told Lib Dems they have observed numerous discrepancies, with many trees showing no markings. In some cases, backdated entries were reportedly added without any watering taking place. One resident claimed to have seen dates written on posts without any water being applied.
These concerns echo issues from 2022, when a previous tree care contractor was sacked by the council following widespread complaints of underperformance across the borough.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Gary Busuttil, opposition spokesperson on finance and council honesty, said: “Sadly for residents, Ealing Labour seems to be repeating its failings time and again with no appropriate oversight or management of contractors resulting in a misuse of public funds which are going to line contractors’ pockets for services they do not provide.”
Coucillor Busuttil added: “This is a scandal of epic proportions especially as our council taxes go up every year. Ealing Labour been in for 15 years and things have simply got worse for residents. This is a sign they have failed their residents as they are not getting the basic services like this right.”
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, an Ealing Council spokesperson countered the Lib Dems. They said: “Due to the sharp increase in the number of trees planted since 2023, our contractors have faced challenges keeping up with the watering schedule – with over 5,000 trees requiring watering every fortnight. In response to the recent hot and dry weather, we have increased the watering frequency and all street trees are now being watered weekly.
“Contractors are required to write the date of each visit on the tree stake, which are checked during routine inspections and where they are missing the issue is raised with the contractor and payment may be withheld. Trees that die due to a lack of watering, are replaced at the contractor’s cost, which happened in 16 cases last year and 2 this year.
“We are also grateful to residents who have joined our ‘Ealing Watering Champions’ scheme where more than 200 trees are receiving extra care from local volunteers. Find out more or sign up at www.treesforstreets.org.
“We are committed to improving how we manage our contractors and ensuring our trees are well cared for.”
