Residents are worried that children or elderly people may get injured as diseased tree branches come down in a Penrith estate.
Two dead trees have already been felled on Macadam Way by the council because of the killer fungus ash dieback.
But six trees remain, which residents say show all the hallmarks of the destructive disease and pose a safety risk to the public.
Four directly overhang a well-used public footpath, which is on the way to a children’s recreation area, while the disease can spread for 10 miles on the wind.
The concern is that the footpath is regularly used by youngsters, carers taking out elderly people, and parents with pushchairs.
With the trees towering in excess of 100ft, only recently a heavy limb fell down which was eight feet long and two inches thick, they said. After residents reported the problems to the Herald, a tree long marked for felling was suddenly taken down by council staff last Thursday.
But residents are concerned about how long the process is taking. An email from the council seen by the Herald showed that the council has told residents it needs an arboriculturist to visit and make an assessment.
But retired builder Ron Thompson said the problem was obvious to anyone and that he had been “passed from department to department” trying to get something done.
“It’s not rocket science,” said Ron, “these trees have got ash dieback and are going to come down and it’s a clear risk to health and safety.”
He believes trees of that size should never have been allowed to be planted on a housing estate.
Residents would like the affected trees felled or at the very least the dead limbs cut back, and new trees planted in their place.
Residents also do not understand why more work was not done last week when the council was there with all the necessary equipment.
The disease is well-known to make trees “structurally unsound” and the greatest safety threat to people is from falling branches and limbs.
Resident Stephen Clarke said: “It’s an accident waiting to happen. I don’t understand the logic of not doing all the work at once. The council has said it’s because of the costs but the costs will only escalate if the council has to keep coming back with staff and all the machinery.”
An email from a council director apologised to Mr Thompson for not receiving “a clear response following his initial inquiry”.
Westmorland and Furness Council did not respond to a request for comment.
