Oakdale residents were left flabbergasted when the trees that line their streets got a dramatic prune by council workers.
Many took to Facebook to voice concerns when many of the trees were completely cleared of leaves and branches.
But a Caerphilly County Borough Council spokesperson tried to reassure residents that the work, known as pollarding, is a traditional way of maintaining certain tree species.
The spokesperson said: “Although initially quite dramatic in appearance, these works are not detrimental to the trees and they will begin to regenerate new growth very swiftly.
“Once a tree has been pollarded it is good practice to repeat the process on a regular basis to control the growth rate and size of the trees.”
Pollarding is good for many tree types, just as the council person said. Pollarded Oak trees actually live much longer than those left to grow naturally. The Lime trees in the street near my home have been pollarded several times with no ill effect.
As far as the council is concerned this process also cuts dramatically the amount of maintenance, as once carried out the tree can be left for several years before any further attention is needed. The down side is that the trees look odd for a couple of years.
An autumnal pruning is often the way to go.