No ‘past issues’ with tree that killed man in tent.
A municipality has stated that no problems had been discovered with the tree that killed a homeless man in Lancashire when one of its branches fell on his tent amid severe winds.
Police discovered the as-yet-unnamed rough sleeper, who was in his 40s, dead in Revoe Park off Central Drive in Blackpool soon before 05:00 BST on Monday.
Because of its location in a popular walking area, the tree is one of many that Blackpool Council, which owns the park, inspects visually every month.
The council stated that no problems had been raised during recent inspections or the previous town-wide tree survey, which took place in 2022.
The man’s death was not being investigated as suspicious, and a file was being sent to the coroner, police said.
Meanwhile, none of Lancashire’s councils have indicated that they intend to adjust the frequency with which they inspect trees following the fatality, which is the third of its sort in the county in less than one year.
FamThe Local Democracy Reporting Service contacted all 15 Lancashire councils, and none of the 11 who responded said they planned to reconsider the frequency of their tree inspection regimes.
The vast majority evaluate their trees on a regular basis, with those in high-traffic locations being checked more frequently than others.
Councils are solely liable for trees on territory that they own or govern. Lancashire County Council, for example, is responsible for the majority of those within its specified highway areas, which exclude Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen.
However, efforts are in place to have some district authorities take care for roadside trees.
Duty of care
Last month, Madia Kauser, 32, was killed by a falling tree branch while walking with her husband and two children in Blackburn’s Witton Country Park.
Paul Fiddler was killed in December when a tree fell on his vehicle on the A59 in Longton, near Lancashire Constabulary’s headquarters.
Earlier this month, PR executive Jennifer Higgins, also known as Jen, was killed by a falling branch in Manchester’s Didsbury. The owner of the land on which the trees are planted nearly always has responsibility for their safety.
Owners have a legal duty of care and must make all reasonable measures to identify and mitigate any foreseeable hazards.
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