Coldean Lane is down to one lane this week while infected elms are felled at Coldean Woods. The council says elm disease is rising across the city.

Tree surgeons began felling elm-disease-infected trees on the edge of Coldean Woods on Tuesday 15 September, and the council says it is seeing more of the disease across the city. The first stage of the work runs for about three days, 8am to 4.30pm daily, along the woodland boundary with Coldean Lane near the allotments and the Lewes Road junction (Brighton & Hove City Council, 15 September 2026).

While it lasts, Coldean Lane is running as a single lane with traffic management from the allotments southward. A second stage follows on the woodland edge, carried out by Connick Treecare, and needs no traffic management. The first stage is being done by The Oz Group. The council’s release does not say how many trees are coming down.

Councillor Alan Robins, cabinet member for sports, recreation and libraries, said: “Unfortunately, we’re seeing an increase in elm disease throughout the city, and we’re having to respond quickly when trees are infected.”

Why Brighton fells fast

Felling infected trees quickly is how the city has kept its elms for fifty years while Dutch elm disease killed most of the elms in Britain. The council’s control programme dates back to the early 1970s, and the city’s roughly 17,000 elms were recognised as the National Elm Collection by the charity Plant Heritage in 1998 (council National Elm Collection page). Elms suit Brighton because they tolerate the thin chalk soil and salty winds that defeat many other species.

The disease spreads three ways: elm bark beetles carry the fungus from diseased to healthy trees, it passes underground through the roots, and new growth from infected fragments left after removal can carry it on. That is why an infected tree threatens its neighbours and why the council removes them urgently rather than waiting; without control, it says, the city would lose nearly a third of its trees (council elm disease page). The same fight reached the Royal Pavilion Garden this month, where the landmark Huntingdon Elm was cut back hard after dry weather left it leaning; its long-term future is decided this winter.

What it means for you

  • Driving: allow extra time on Coldean Lane while the first stage runs; the lane restriction is from the allotments south towards Lewes Road. The rest of the week’s disruption is on the roadworks and travel page.
  • Walking in the woods: the work runs 8am to 4.30pm daily; follow the signs and any taped-off areas while felling is under way.
  • If you spot a sick elm: the council says the signs are wilting, browning or yellowing patches of foliage between June and September, or an elm thinning and losing its leaves in early summer while the elms around it are still full. Report it to elmdisease@brighton-hove.gov.uk with photos and the location. The council also flies summer drone surveys to spot infections from above.

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