Tree inoculation aims to tackle disease spread
The annual project will this year see about 1,400 elm trees in Brighton and Hove injected with an organic, non-toxic control agent designed to protect them for a year.
Brighton & Hove City Council said the programme was being expanded in its third year to include more trees in parks.
Councillor Alan Robins, cabinet member responsible for trees, said: "We carefully select important areas of the city where we know inoculations will have the greatest effect – especially when it comes to protecting some of the older and historically significant elms we have."
The council said the programme was just part of the work done to protect the city's trees, and that felling was "only ever done as a last resort" to prevent spread.
Some residents have previously complained about the disruption, as well as the environmental impact of felling tress in the city as part of plans to control the disease along with ash dieback.
Concerns have been raised about protected species and felling work destroying their breeding ground.
The inoculation programme will take about two weeks and is scheduled to start at the beginning of May.
The council says the elm trees will be injected with a biological vaccine called DutchTrig.
It contains a type of fungus which prompts a defensive response to elm disease, which is spread by the elm bark beetle.
But the council said it cannot prevent the spread through root transmission.
Areas which have been treated annually since 2023 include Old Steine, Pavilion Gardens, Victoria Gardens, Valley Gardens and The Level among others.
New areas to be treated in May are Queen's Park, Hove Park, Hove Rec, St Ann's Well Gardens, Saunders Park, Blakers Park and Wish Park.
Residents are asked to help by not buying or bringing in logs for firewood if the supplier could not guarantee that the wood wasn't elm.
Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Diseased tree felling resumes amid public concern
Public meeting to discuss diseased tree felling
Hundreds of trees to be felled due to disease
Brighton & Hove City Council

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Weight loss drug warning with more than one in two adults in city obese or overweight
People are buying weight loss drugs online but the cut-price deals may not be what they seem to be, health chiefs warned. The NHS has recently started prescribing the miracle cures – commonly known as Ozempic, WeGovy and Mounjaro – but not everyone who wants them meets the strict criteria. NHS bosses are weighing up the costs of obesity, the costs of the new drugs and the implications of people buying powerful medicines privately without proper clinical supervision. And they are still learning about potential side-effects, what happens when people stop using weight-loss drugs and the flood of cheap or fake supplies – often bought online – targeting burgeoning demand. The various concerns emerged at a meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council's Health and Wellbeing Board at Hove Town Hall. Board members discussed the annual report of the new director of public health which focused on 'a whole city approach to healthy weight'. Read more Your Labour council's recent actions Councillors and politicians 'shocked' at potential closure of three libraries The board was told that the annual report was a legal requirement although this was the first one since 2022. It looked back 20 years to TV chef Jamie Oliver's campaign against turkey twizzlers and unhealthy school dinners even as McDonald's faces resistance to its plans for a drive-through burger bar in Old Shoreham Road, Hove. The new director of public health Caroline Vass said in her report: 'More than one in two adults in the city are obese or overweight, increasing the risk of diet and weight-related diseases including diabetes, some cancer, heart disease, joint problems and so much more. 'This impacts on the health and social care system, quality of life, economy and everyday life in the city. 'The impact of covid-19 on our lifestyles and weight, alongside a 'cost of living crisis', brought challenges to Brighton and Hove where levels of healthy weight have been better than many other areas in England in recent years.' A chart suggested that the covid restrictions coincided with unhealthy lifestyle changes that significantly reduced the number of people with a healthy weight in Brighton and Hove. Anecdotal evidence highlighted a boom in people eating takeaways and drinking more alcohol at home while many people exercised less although others took the chance to exercise more. NHS Sussex chair Stephen Lightfoot broached the elephant in the room, telling the board that he was worried about people buying weight-loss medication online. Weight-loss drugs were not mentioned in the report although the Labour Health Secretary Wes Streeting has spoken several times over the past year about how they could help tackle obesity. Mr Lightfoot said: 'There's no doubt that weight-loss medication can have a role to play. 'But I do worry about people buying these privately without proper medical supervision and the inappropriate use of weight-loss medications. 'It seems to me to be very popular at the moment. I wonder whether we need to think about the responsible use of weight-loss medication as part of an overall plan such as this.' Ms Vass said that there was a place for weight-loss drugs, adding: 'We're learning more and more about the impact of them and the risks and what happens when people stop using them, what happens when people are accessing very cheap medications online, that may not be exactly what they purport to be, and the issues associated with that. 'How we bring in these products, which are out there right now, into a healthy weight approach and a more integrated way of managing the data coming through thick and fast about the evidence and impact, it's something we need to keep our eye on.' The annual report highlighted conventional answers – a variety of local initiatives to help more people eat more healthy food, which often costs more than unhealthy food, and to exercise more. And it noted that although the proportion of overweight or obese adults in Brighton and Hove was almost three in five, the local population was among the leanest in the country. Previous public health initiatives have helped to bring down the rate of teen pregnancies, increased the number of people giving up smoking and improved the take up of some types of screening. So what are the odds of the annual report providing a blueprint for a more active local population, eating and drinking more healthily? Fat chance? Too much to swallow? Or a recipe for success? Only time will tell.
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Yahoo
Sea swim in office wear raising money for charity
Workers in Guernsey have entered the sea in office clothing in a bid to raise money for a heart charity. Keen sea swimmer Tristan Boscher, 47, said the 'Port Soiffice' annual charity swim at Port Soif had been running for 11 years. "I had my own heart attack and went to Southampton and had triple bypass surgery so since then we've been doing it for heart charities," he said. Mr Boscher said proceeds would go to Guernsey's Chest and Heart, a charity which offers screening to people between the ages of 25 and 75. Mr Boscher, who swims all year round, said five years had passed since he had the heart attack. He added that the heart attack happened the day after he had taken part in the Port Soiffice. "It just came out of the blue," he said. "I was very active." He said the chosen charity was a good one to support to try to "prevent people from going through heart conditions and identifying any issues early on". 'Bobbing and gobbing' Mr Boscher said the idea to wear suits during the swim originated due to the "play on words". "Port Soif leant itself to Port Soiffice," he added. "When we first did it we were in these suits and we had a desk and a computer in the water... that was the start of it really." Mr Boscher's friend Sue Duport, committee member for Guernsey's Swim All Seasons, has been taking part in the fundraiser for three years. Ms Duport said the charitable event was "really good" for mental health. "It has taken away a lot of isolation for a lot of people," she said. "It's always laughter, bobbing and gobbing and it's just a really good experience." More news stories for Guernsey Listen to the latest news for Guernsey Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Related internet links Guernsey Chest and Heart
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Yahoo
Swim sessions introduced for adults with sight loss
Sea Lanes in Brighton has introduced open water swimming sessions for visually impaired swimmers, following a successful pilot with University of Brighton researchers. The sessions, taking place at the "UK's national open water swimming centre", will run weekly from 23 July to 27 August, from 11:00 BST to midday. The pool will be closed to the public during these times to create a "calm, supportive environment" tailored to the needs of swimmers with sight loss, said the University of Brighton. While outdoor swimming is increasingly recognised for its health and wellbeing benefits, many swimming spaces remain inaccessible to people with visual impairments, the university said. The sessions will build on research led by University of Brighton PhD student Sadie Rockliffe, after an initial session was held on 11 June. The university added that the sessions were helping to make "significant steps towards making Brighton's blue spaces more welcoming for all". Sadie said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to see these dedicated sessions coming to life at Sea Lanes. "The pilot swim showed just how powerful and positive these experiences can be when access and inclusion are genuinely prioritised. "It's not just about swimming – it's about creating a welcoming, supportive space for people to connect with the water." Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More on this story Adults with sight loss invited to open water swim Related internet links University of Brighton Sea Lanes Brighton