Cleanup teams from Lancaster City Council and Lancashire County Council are clearing fallen trees across the Lancaster district in Lancashire following several days of severe winter storms. Gusts exceeded 70mph between February 2 and February 4, 2026, causing widespread damage to trees and blocking several key travel routes.
Workers began clearing debris at 04:00 on February 3 and are currently focusing on reopening the A6 corridor and roads serving Lune Valley villages. Maintenance staff are also working in public spaces including Williamson Park and Ryelands Park to remove dangerous branches and assess whether damaged trees can be salvaged.
The councils and contractors are using mobile chainsaw units, woodchippers and heavy‑lift cranes — particularly on the A6 — to remove mature oaks and sycamores and to make safe trees tangled with, or posing a risk to, power lines. Officials have asked residents to be patient as crews finish clearing the highest‑priority hazards before moving on to smaller residential streets; residents in areas such as Galgate and Hest Bank have reported a high density of blockages.
Drivers should expect short delays and some road closures to continue through dusk on February 5, 2026, while remaining debris is removed. Councils and safety advisers are warning people not to try to move fallen trees themselves, because many are tangled with live power lines or are under extreme tension and could shift and cause injury.
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