Anger after council fells row of trees for cycle link
by the local authority to remove a row of trees screening an industrial building has angered Cairnbaan residents.
The line of conifers, estimated at around 30 to 40 years old, were felled by Argyll and Bute Council to create a pavement along the southern bank of the Crinan Canal linking Letter Daill with the waterway.
But the trees have been screening a forestry workshop from the view of local people.
Catriona and Ogilvie Ross live on the opposite side of the canal, overlooking the shed, which is owned by the Forestry Commission.
‘This is nothing to do with the Forestry Commission,’ said Mrs Ross. ‘I am, though, angry at the attitude of the council. They came along without any warning or consultation and cut down these trees.’
Mrs Ross also wor- ries about the impact on tourism. ‘They call the Crinan Canal “Britain’s most beautiful shortcut” and it was once part of the Royal Route, then the council comes along and takes away these trees. It makes no sense.’
Mr Ross added: ‘I tried to contact the council about this several times and was passed from pillar to post. I don’t think they wanted to talk to me about this. They forget, sitting in Kilmory, they are public servants. My main issue is their disconnection with local people. There seems to be a lack of empathy with the public, and we should have heard before anything happened here.’
An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said: ‘We have secured a total of £100,000 from the Sustrans Community Links programme and the Scottish Government’s Cycling Walking Safer Streets grant to provide a completely new link between the community of Letter Daill with the Crinan Canal at lock eight.
‘To create the path, we have removed a number of trees within the road corridor and will be planting new ones once the path is completed.’