A large tree by Welshpool Bus Station fell down overnight as Storm Ashley saw strong winds battering parts of Powys.
Welshpool residents catching an early morning bus on Monday, September 21, found a large tree lying in their path across the town’s bus station in Church Street car park, as one of the trees along the pavement had been blown over during the night.
The tree fell as parts of Wales were hit with the heavy winds of Storm Ashley, with the storm hitting the UK on the evening of Sunday, September 20, bringing winds of up to 50mph or 60mph.
Though Powys was not put under a Met Office weather warning for the storm, strong winds were expected across the country as a result of the storm.
The Met Office’s warning said: "Storm Ashley will bring a windy period across the whole of the UK on Sunday and into Monday, and there is an increased chance of disruption across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northwest England and northwest Wales.”
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The Church Street bus station was built in 2022, with the Welsh Government-funded scheme creating an interchange to incorporate a bus station, car parking, taxi rank and large covered bike shelter, and also carried out some resurfacing work around trees in the area.
As the tree fell, a piece of the surface around it has also been ripped up by the force of the fall, leaving part of the KBI Flexipave between the tree and the asphalt pavement exposed as well.
When the surface was installed a Powys County Council spokesperson said: “The material used around the base of the trees is a KBI Flexipave.
“This resin bound aggregate is combined with recycled rubber chips to boost its sustainability credentials, and is designed to surround trees.
“It is porous, flexible, cold applied and extremely low maintenance.
"All the tarmac around the area is also porous, which brings additional benefits to the root systems over the previous traditional tarmac.”
A spokesperson for Welshpool Town Council has confirmed that the issue has been reported to Powys County Council.
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