Councilcontractormowsdown treesplantedbyTidyTowns
VOLUNTEERS with Dundalk Tidy Towns were horrified to discover that almost 700 sapling trees which they had planted along the Navy Bank this spring as part of a biodiversity project were destroyed by a contractor working for Louth County Council.
The damage was discovered last week when Martin Holland, who heads up the Tidy Towns biodiversity and sustainability project, was contacted by a woman who saw a large tractor with cutting equipment mowing vegetation along the Navy Bank.
‘All the trees which we had planted were mown down,’ said Martin. ‘ The majority are native species so we will be waiting to see if they can regrow in the spring.’
The trees had been planted over a weekend by volunteers and students from DkIT’s Environmental Society as part of Dundalk Tidy Town’s three year biodiversity rejuvenation plan for the Navy Bank.
‘We planted 650 to 700 saplings as part of the project and they were coming along really well.’
Martin says that the committee had made Louth County Council aware of their plans and had understood that only a strip of grass would be cut to facilitate walkers and that the trees wouldn’t be touched.
In fact, the project was singled out for praise by the judges of this year’s Tidy Towns competition who commented: ‘ The management along the Navy Bank is very appropriate with the short tightly mown edge to the path and the longer grass in the background.’
While the committee are naturally upset that the young plants and surrounding vegetation have been cut, Martin says that they don’t blame the contractor as he was only doing what he was told.
Since pictures of the damage were posted on social media, Martin says they have got a lot of messages of support from the public and from local councillors.
He said that the Tidy Towns Committee have also been given assurances from the local authority that they will make good the damage and that it won’t happen again.
However, he pointed to how lack of communication had led to an incident in Dublin where an area of wetlands was destroyed when rubble was dumped on it.
‘If anyone is concerned about habitat loss and inversely biodiversity loss in the county, can they please raise this issue with their local council, TDs and councillors,’ urges Martin.
A spokesperson for Louth County Council stated: ‘ The Council will review and take any action necessary in consultation with the Tidy Towns group.’