Furious locals slam politicians for chopping down more than 100 trees

‘They’ve trashed it’: Furious locals slam council for chopping down more than 100 trees overnight in Plymouth as they compare damage to WW2 – and devastation in Northamptonshire is revealed amid another row over felling

• Residents have reacted furiously to trees being felled in Plymouth
• More than 100 trees were cut down in the middle of the night on Tuesday 
• IS YOUR AREA INVOLVED IN A DISPUTE OVER TREE FELLING? Email: [email protected]

Furious locals in Plymouth have blasted politicians for chopping down more than 100 trees under cover of darkness, comparing the damage to that inflicted on the city during World War 2.

Council contractors swept in on Tuesday night to install fencing in the city centre while police with dogs patrolled outside.

Inside the fence, crews used chainsaws and heavy equipment to tear down the old established trees – which are understood to date back to the 1960s.

Contractors had started work in Armada Way ‘for reasons of public safety’ and planned to remove 129 while keeping another 24. A further three trees which had been earmarked for removal were left because they had birds nesting in them.

It comes after a controversial felling in Northamptonshire as part of a project to progress the £1 billion Stanton Cross development prompted a furious backlash from residents. 

IS YOUR AREA INVOLVED IN A DISPUTE OVER TREE FELLING? Email: [email protected]

Members of the public in both Plymouth (pictured before its trees were cut down) and Northamptonshire have staged protests against the tree felling

The once-leafy thoroughfare in Plymouth city centre appeared desolate after trees were felled

TV star Chris Packham slammed ‘vandal’ authorities after they chopped down trees in Plymouth

Northamptonshire councillors have told members of the public at the meeting they did not know 60 trees would be axed until a site inspection in Wellingborough on February 9, just ten days before work was set to begin

New pictures reveal the extent of the felling in Northamptonshire – where councillors told members of the public they did not know 60 trees would be axed until a site inspection just ten days before work was set to begin

Meanwhile, a 200-page report was recently released detailing the battle between locals in a Sheffield area and the council which cut down 5,600 trees at a cost of tens of million of pounds. 

Many Sheffield residents were arrested or questioned by the police as the council sought to cut down thousands of trees between 2016 and 2018.

The project was eventually abandoned and this month Sheffield Council issues several apologies to residents for the way residents were treated in the dispute over the trees. 

In Plymouth this week, locals chanted and protested against the recent tree felling but the action was only stopped at 1am when a group secured a court injunction. It is understood there will now be a judicial review.

Gary Reynolds, 65, from Plymouth said: ‘They’ve trashed it. I actually feel quite emotional about it.

‘It’s just wrong that they can come in and do this and the mess they have left is unbelievable.

‘I remember enjoying sitting out under these trees when I was young. I’ve come into town with my grandkids today and I just feel so sad they aren’t going to enjoy that experience.’

Another resident said: ‘Look at the state of it! The city council have done more damage to Plymouth in one night than the Luftwaffe.

‘And they sent me a letter this week telling me my council tax was going up. I would say how do they sleep at night but clearly they don’t because they’re too busy ripping down the few trees left in the city centre.’

Plymouth was one of the most bombed cities of the Second World War. Over seven nights of the Blitz in March and April 1941 over 6000 general purpose bombs and 205,000 incendiary bombs were dropped on the city. In total 1,174 civilians died and more than 22,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

Plymouth MP for Sutton and Devonport, Luke Pollard was appalled that the tree-felling took place at night and said: ‘We are in a climate emergency and their actions are nothing short of environmental vandalism.’

More than 100 trees were cut down during the night in Plymouth, to the fury of locals (pictured: scenes before the felling) 

 Contractors took chainsaws to the trees on Tuesday evening in what has been described as ‘environmental vandalism’ by Plymouth Labour MP Luke Pollard

The scene of ‘devastation’ yesterday along Armada Way, Plymouth, after the council felled decades-old trees which lined the popular Devon shopping centre

A council document said that 68% of all respondents – 1,537 people – did not support the £12.7m Armada Way upgrade plan. The council said that if it took out the responses from people opposed who did not give a reason why ‘then the scheme has significant support.’

Retired nurse Shirley Cooper, who has lived in Plymouth since 1976, said: ‘They have cut all these trees down despite being told loudly and clearly by residents ‘we don’t want this’.

‘The trees used to be an oasis of green amongst all the concrete.

‘Quite simply the council isn’t listening to us. They say they will replace the trees but you cannot replace them like-for-like.

‘They are telling us all to sign up and vote – how well is that going to go for them now?’

Rich Quinton, 55, added: ‘Everybody’s pushing this green agenda of electric cars and things but apparently that hasn’t reached Plymouth City Council because they are chopping down trees that clean the air and take 10 years to replace.’

LBC Breakfast Show host Nick Ferrari called out the council for lying, stating there is ‘no defence’ for the decision.

Nick said: ‘You’ve got men and women climbing ladders, using chainsaws and those giant chipping machines, and you do it in darkness, at night because of ‘safety concerns’.

‘What a load of cobblers! What a blatant lie by Plymouth City Council.

‘This was so there was no way that the people could stop it because this council knew that it was wrong. I hope every councillor who voted in favour of this is kicked out on their well-remunerated backside. There is no defence!’

The trees are being cut down in Plymouth city centre as part of a regeneration scheme that would see the planting of 169 new semi-mature trees, the local authority has said.

The council’s Tory leader Richard Bingley signed a delegated decision to press ahead with the Armada Way scheme on Tuesday. The decision made it clear that ‘there is a risk that the funding from the Transforming Cities Fund could be lost if the project is not implemented quickly’.

A council spokesperson said: ‘For reasons of public safety and impact on the city centre and given the size of the tree machinery due to come onto Armada Way, we scheduled the works to be carried out at night with as few people around as possible.

‘We aimed to minimise the disruption caused to the public and businesses by cordoning off parts of Armada Way. Unfortunately, the injunction meant we had to stop work.

‘Following an engagement programme, the final design was changed to include 169 semi-mature new trees to be planted, a revised tree planting schedule and a commitment to investigate wider tree planting in the city centre. We await applications from the claimant as directed by the court.’

The trees in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire before (left) and after (right) they were felled

Residents of Northamptonshire blasted their local council at a meeting and demanded protections for trees in their area

Northamptonshire councillors have told members of the public at the meeting they did not know 60 trees would be axed until a site inspection in Wellingborough on February 9, just ten days before work was set to begin. 

A Save Our Trees campaign has been launched by local residents, who want a Tree Protection Order for the rest of the area. 

Several people staged a protest on the site of the tree felling, leading to four arrests. 

However, 15 trees were cut down before work was paused last Thursday March 2.

Vistry Group then agreed to pause the felling until after they have held a public consultation with residents expected to take place this month.  

Members of the public criticised North Northamptonshire Council for its ‘lack of response’ and called its actions ‘disgraceful’. 

No representatives for Vistry or council members attended the meeting, but councillors resolved to condemn the felling and take all steps to protect the trees still standing on the road.

Deputy mayor and councillor Valerie Anslow said councillors were told at a visit to the site that 61 trees would be felled.

‘We were speechless’, she told the meeting. Cllr Ekins added that no council officers were present at the time and the only drawings of the planned felling were shown to them.

Another councillor said: ‘None of us knew that any of those trees were coming down, we were in the darkness.

‘At that meeting the pin was pulled, it went nuclear.’

Cllr Ken Harrington, who is a member of the council’s Wellingborough area planning committee but who was not invited to the site visit, said he has ‘never been treated so arrogantly and this has upset me.’

He then called for Cllr Lawman to stand down.

A council spokesperson said: ‘The work is part of consented plans that we are required to carry out as part of the planning permission. 

‘They are needed in the short-term to facilitate the diversion of essential utilities, including a high-pressure gas main, water, fibre optics and electricity, and in the longer term will boost the road network around the town, improving access in and around Wellingborough, and in doing so bringing major economic and lifestyle benefits.’

A spokesman for Stanton Cross said: ‘These essential works are part of the legal, approved plans given by North Northamptonshire Council, to support the delivery of Stanton Cross.

‘We continue to liaise closely with the council and key stakeholders over the details and design of route two, including the highways and planning teams who have been directly involved in the proposals.

‘Where possible we have looked to minimise the number of trees required to be taken down, this involves a plan to remove fewer than 40 trees.

‘Those that are removed will then be used in some way in the local area, such as providing hibernaculas, fencing, planting bed mulch, and featuring in the natural play areas in the development.

‘The wider environmental work at Stanton Cross has already seen 390 new trees planted last summer, extensive improvement work on the River Ise, and a new 44-acre Town Park, with plans for a further 71-acre Country Park.’

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