THE cost of replacing street trees in the centre of Minehead has risen by up to £3,000 after delays caused by Somerset Council.

Town councillors agreed in October, 2024, to spend up to £8,000 planting four trees to replace those which were being removed in The Avenue and to use the same firm involved in the felling.

However, town clerk Ben Parker said progress on removing the trees had stalled due to internal restructuring at the unitary authority.

Now, the Somerset authority expected to proceed with the tree removal work between mid-February and early March.

But, Mr Parker said the council had also changed its contractors, which meant town councillors would need a new quote for the work involved in replacing the trees and it was now likely to be up to £11,000.

Councillors were being asked at a meeting on Tuesday (January 27) to approve the extra spending, which Mr Parker said could be met from funds already earmarked for the project.

Mr Parker said in the event of the fund not being enough, any balance could be met from relevant operational budgets, including the devolution budget because the project was part of an ongoing programme of devolved-service arrangements relating to highway verge and tree management.

He said the town council would be responsible for maintaining the trees for 10 years, including watering, epicormic growth control, and formative pruning, after which they would be passed to the Somerset authority.

The agreement was to use the species Tilia cordata ‘Streetwise’ with the planting coinciding with the removal of a failing tree by Somerset Council, which meant there was only a narrow window in which to co-ordinate the work.

The trees would need new protective metal cages because the old ones had been been repurposed in other parts of the town, including Blenheim Gardens.