Recycled tyres used to protect pavements in Weymouth

A safety surface, usually associated with playgrounds, is being used on a busy Weymouth route to protect the health of mature trees.

Repair work is underway to smooth out sections of pavement along Dorchester Road between Lidl and The Hotel Rembrandt, where damage has been caused by tree roots.

Tree roots on Dorchester Road pavements before the work was done. Picture: Dorset Council

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The council said Dorset Highways put together the package of work to save money on the increasing need for reactive repairs along the pavement and improve accessibility along the path.

Council arboriculture officers have been working closely with highways to ensure the continued health of the trees, which are around 60 years old.

Trenching around the base of the trees is being enlarged to provide extra space and ‘JungleMulch’ is being used to surface these areas.

In a trial for Dorset Council, the material is believed to provide a flexible, porous surface – allowing the tree more room to grow, without disrupting the pavement surface, and supporting the health of the tree.

Finished works on Dorchester Road pavements. Picture: Dorset Council

‘JungleMulch’ is made from recycled vehicle tyres which is bound with a resin to form a solid surface but looks like loose mulch.

Jack Wiltshire, Dorset Council Head of Highways, said: “This is a very heavily used walking route to shops, schools and to the beach, and this maintenance will improve accessibility for many people, especially wheelchair users, people with pushchairs, children on scooters and for anybody walking.

“Using the council’s in-house arboriculture team’s expertise, we’ve also been able to provide better conditions for these more mature trees to thrive using a material which should also reduce maintenance in the area.

“Carrying out the work as a co-ordinated project will also save money and reduce our environmental impact in the long run, compared to carrying out the frequent ad-hoc reactive repairs we were experiencing"

Repairs started on Monday June 21 near Lidl on the southbound side of the road. The team has progressed towards Westerhall and are working their way back towards the Spa area on the opposite side of the road.

The £45,000 maintenance scheme of proactive work was put into action after ‘defects’ in the pavement were routinely recorded during highway inspections.