Edinburgh tree police.
I noted this in today's Scotsman. Wouldn't want a visit from the tree police
Source: The Scotsman
22/11/04
Airport declares a no-grow zone
ALASTAIR DALTON
TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT
It is the no-grow zone. Trees and shrubs which attract birds have been banned from within eight miles of Edinburgh airport to prevent flocks causing potentially disastrous collisions with aircraft.
Berry-producing trees such as rowan and hawthorn have been outlawed by the operator of the fast-growing airport to cut the risk of birdstrikes, which costs the aviation industry £750 million a year.
A BAA spokesman said residents with large gardens who planted many such trees could be visited by airport officials who would explain the risks to them.
However, he said that they would not necessarily seek to have the trees removed.
BAA - which has powers to attach conditions to planning decisions - wants such foliage to be excluded from the landscaping of major developments around the airport, such as office complexes and tram and rail lines.
The airport operator also wants to minimise any water features being included in such landscaping because they could lure migrating species into the eight-mile radius "bird hazard zone".
The Royal Bank of Scotland has already been prevented from building a fountain and pond outside its new headquarters at nearby Gogarburn, while planned water features at the Edinburgh Park business park were reduced in size.
BAA’s latest concern is to ensure the proposed tram link to the airport from the city centre is not bordered by bird-attracting vegetation.
Officials have raised concerns to MSPs considering a Parliamentary bill for the project because it is classed as a railway line which means it is not covered by the normal planning process.
Anne Follin, the airport’s planning and development manager, said: "It’s a very serious issue."
Transport Initiatives Edinburgh, the city council firm heading the tram scheme, said it would fully consult BAA over such safety issues.
Other measures include keeping long grass around the airport, which is less attractive to ground-foraging birds and could also hide predators.
Airport staff also keep runways clear of birds by playing recordings of distressed rooks from loudspeakers on vehicles, which scare other birds away.
Dr Rowena Langston, a senior research biologist with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said species attracted by berry-bearing trees included winter-flocking birds such as thrush, redwing and fieldfare, who arrived from breeding grounds in Scandinavia.
Dr Langston said: "Single birds are unlikely to cause problems for aircraft, but there is clearly potential for a flock to cause a serious incident."
Airlines such as EasyJet said birdstrikes were a persistent problem, causing damage to engines.
In one of the most recent incidents, a Loganair plane had to be taken out of service last week after being hit by a flock of geese as it came in to land at Kirkwall in Orkney.