Tree branch fall at Leamington park to be investigated
By Andy Mitchell - Local Democracy Reporter 10th Jul 2026
A council investigation has been launched into why a tree branch fell on a Leamington bowling green despite "no indication" of problems.
Three competitors in Bowls England's Para Bowls qualifiers received medical attention after the branch fell on the green at Victoria Park, Leamington Spa, on Sunday, June 21.
The area was fenced off ahead of Warwickshire County Council's forestry department coming back to remove the rest of the tree.
In an update at last week's meeting of Warwick District Council, portfolio holder for neighbourhood Cllr Will Roberts confirmed: "The council's health and safety manager is carrying out an investigation into the incident and we await the report on their findings.
"The chestnut tree was inspected in November 2025 and given category four status. At the time of inspection there was no indication that it was to drop any branches.
"County forestry will come back in autumn once the bowling greens have finished to remove the tree."
Cllr Roberts later detailed that category four status means a tree is scheduled for "routine work for completion within 12 months".
Councillor Bill Gifford said the incident "does raise some questions".
He wanted to know how many trees the council has on its land across the district and how frequently they are checked.
Cllr Roberts said an estimated 19,000 trees stand on district land with between 6,000 and 6,500 checked each year.
In areas of high footfall such as parks, trees are checked annually with most other district sites monitored on a three-year cycle. Woodland areas checked every five years, although woodland trees next to homes or highways are checked every three years.
"If inspections suggest trees need a different inspection cycle then this will be actioned," he said.
"The case in Victoria Park is being reviewed by the health and safety manager and once the team has their findings, these will be discussed and reviewed with county forestry.
"Any recommendations for changes in policy will, of course, be looked at for implementation."
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