TREE SAFETY ALERT: Havant Council Fences Off Hurstwood as Ash Dieback Forces Urgent Removals

Dead and dying ash trees are due to be removed from Hurstwood after Havant Borough Council said ash dieback had created a safety risk for people visiting the woodland.

The council announced on 1 May that it was starting an urgent woodland management programme. The affected area is being fenced off and public access will not be permitted until the work is complete.

Matt Goodwin, chief executive of Havant Borough Council, said ash dieback significantly weakens ash trees and can make branches brittle, meaning branches — and in some cases entire trees — can fall with very little warning.

The council says it has been monitoring the spread of ash dieback through routine inspections and has identified the need to remove diseased trees at Hurstwood to keep people safe.

A qualified ecologist is expected to be on site during the tree felling and pruning works. The council says this is intended to reduce the risk of harm to wildlife, including nesting birds and mammals or amphibians that could be using the woodland.

Although the removal of trees is a visible loss, the council says it can also create biodiversity gains by letting more light reach the woodland floor. Some dead wood will be retained to provide habitat and nutrients.

Ash dieback is described by the council as a deadly disease forecast to kill 80% of the UK’s ash trees. Once a tree is infected, there is no treatment to save it.

Residents should follow the signs and avoid fenced-off sections of Hurstwood until the works are finished.

Source: Havant Borough Council, published 1 May 2026.