The word is “pollarding”. Pollarding keeps trees manageable in tight urban spots, preventing interference with power lines, streets, or buildings. In the case of Plane trees pollarding is very important because it will reduce pollen and seed fibre contamination of an entire suburb. The Plane trees on Military Rd have been neglected by the Council but let it be said they were always the wrong species because they grow to big and “pollarding” would be expensive and it would not protect pedestrians. I would love an IQ test to be done on the person or persons who planted them and continued to plant them up until 2005 until MP Felicity Wilson and I put a stop to it!