Sutton Council has confirmed it saved the root of a fallen Weeping Willow in Beddington Park, giving hope it could sprout again next year. The authority remains unsure why the historic tree came down earlier this week, saying there had been no sign it was dying or in poor health.
Tree falls into River Wandle
During a visit to the Sutton park, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) saw how the willow had fallen away from a pathway and into the River Wandle, leaving a large hole in the ground where its roots had been.
Routine assessments had given no indication the tree was in decline before it fell, the council said. Tree surgeons attended the park on Friday to assess the damage and remove the fallen sections.
Root recovery and next steps
During the work, the team also managed to recover the tree's root. “This took a lot of work by the team, but we are delighted that we were able to save the root to ensure it will sprout again next year,” a council spokesperson told the LDRS.
The authority added that the hole left when the root plate slid forwards would be repaired shortly, but it did not provide further details about what caused the tree to fall. The council also confirmed that all necessary precautions had been taken to protect local waterfowl and other wildlife during the removal.
The council added: “We are extremely lucky in Sutton to have such a rich variety of historic trees, including the Weeping Willows in Beddington Park.”
