It’s about transparency as well as trees, say protesters who keep on fighting
People in the area say the reasons for removing the trees haven’t been made clear
Protesters who have battled to save much-loved trees from being chopped down in a residential street are keeping their campaign going to the bitter end as Cornwall Council announces its work programme to fell the three healthy lime trees.
The council says it will carry out an independent ecological survey of the now infamous trees on Trelawney Road in Falmouth to “make sure the right checks are in place” before they are cut down. However, the Stop the Chop! protest group has responded: “Cornwall Council has done anything but take an ‘independent approach’ or ‘make sure the right checks are in place’ during its entire handling of this case.”
Residents have protested at the site of the trees three times since last December, saving them from being felled during two very public demonstrations this year. They say no proper explanation has been given by the council for why they have to come down, amid mysterious court proceedings and a confidentiality agreement between the local authority and the owner of a house near the trees.
The council announced this week that it will carry out the independent ecological survey later this month, ahead of the planned removal of the 60-year-old trees in December. The survey, which will make sure there are no nesting birds or bat roosts in the trees, will be led by an independent ecologist from outside Cornwall.
It is due to take place on Thursday, November 20, weather dependent. Temporary parking restrictions and traffic management will be in place to allow safe access for the climbed inspection.
Cllr Dan Rogerson, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for transport, said: “We know there’s been a lot of local interest in the trees along Trelawney Road. That’s why we’ve commissioned an independent ecology specialist to carry out a detailed inspection and oversee the works. This independent approach will make sure the right checks are in place before any trees are removed and the four replacement trees can be planted.”
The council is asking residents to respect traffic management measures during the survey to help keep everyone safe.
A spokesperson for Stop The Chop! said: “Cornwall Council has done anything but take an ‘independent approach’ or ‘make sure the right checks are in place’ during its entire handling of this case.
“No independent evidence to support the felling of the three protected trees has ever been sought, no explanation has been given to the taxpayer as to why it paid the neighbouring property owners £107,000 – which is some 20 times more than the average payout – failures in its consultation process and lies to the public about reasons for felling. And all possible because of the confidentiality clause it agreed to as part of the out-of-court settlement arranged with the property owners. It’s outrageous!
“The contempt they are showing for both the community and due process is staggering. This case isn’t only about trees, it’s about transparency as well. Stop the Chop! is trying to stand up for both.”
We contacted the council to ask if the £107,000 payout quoted by the protesters is indeed the sum paid to a property owner living near the trees. The figure has never been officially denied.
A spokesperson replied: “The damage caused by the trees on Trelawney Road has been the subject of court proceedings and all the parties to those proceedings, including the council, are bound by confidentiality. We are making arrangements for the trees to be felled safely and for four new trees to be planted on the street.”