RIVERSIDE walkways in Worcester will be shut for two weeks while a number of dead and diseased trees are removed.

However, three new trees, a variety of elm resistant to Dutch elm disease, will be planted in their place next to the South Quay fountains this autumn. Further replacement tree planting along Kleve Walk and the eastern river bank will be carried out at a later date.

Alison Vincent, landscape architect at Worcester City Council, said: “This will be the first time a significant number of elms have been planted in the city for decades, since Dutch elm disease killed off so many of them in the 1970s. We are delighted to bring a new generation of elms to the city for everyone to enjoy.

“Many of the alder trees we will be removing are suffering from a fungal disease called Phytophthora alni which kills the bark around the base and causes them to die.”

The South Parade and Kleve Walk will not be accessible to pedestrians for safety reasons from Monday, November 30, as the second phase of the improvement works to the riverside gets under way.

Over the coming weeks, the trees to be replaced – including the large trees near the fountain which council experts say have suffered progressive dieback in recent years – will be checked by ecologists to ensure wildlife and habitats will not be affected.

Existing willow on the river bank will be kept for wildlife value along with young alders.

The waterfront project from the city bridge to the junction with the Worcester and Birmingham canal junction will include extra seating, new signs and interpretations of the area’s natural and social history at key points, as well as the new trees.

The city council said sections of the path will be reopened as soon as the work on each stretch is done.

Work on transforming the waterfront began last year and is set for completition in June to coincide with the opening of the new £2 million foot and cycle bridge linking Diglis with Lower Wick.