The ficus tree that fell onto a parked car, outside the school in the P-4 in Almuñécar has been removed, along with those near it.

In fact, the municipal Gardening and Maintenance Department are to remove all of the ficus trees along that pavement outside the gates of the IES Puerta del Mar because of the havoc wrought by their aggressive root system under the pavement, pushing the paving stones up and consequently causing unwary pedestrians to trip and fall.

The tree that triggered this reaction fell over in the early hours of Monday the 14th, landing on a parked car, causing damage to it, but owing to the hour, nobody was hurt. Strong winds had caused its trunk to snap almost at ground level.

The G&M Department was originally just going to cut back all the branches, but upon inspecting the pavement being pushed up by the roots, decided for this more radical solution.

The Councillor for Environment, Luis Aragón, pointed out that this kind of tree is no longer used in the urban centre of town precisely because of root damage. However, at the time when the P-4 was being laid down this was not the case and the whole road (Calle Hurtado Mendoza) running right up to Los Pinos is lined with them.

Editorial note: The damage caused by this kind of tree is widely and long known, which makes it all the more surprising that an “expert” in the Town Hall should have decided to use them.

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)