Felling trees is a ‘kick in the teeth’ for city campaigners
COUNCIL SAYS IT DID NOT NEED FURTHER PERMISSION
TREES recently felled in Queens Gardens had to be chopped down because their roots were damaging nearby walls, Hull City Council has stated.
Hull City Council stated is was not required to get permission to remove the trees, by Guildhall Road because they were not subject to a protection order.
A spokesperson said Guildhall officials also ordered the felling, which began earlier this month, ahead of the bird-nesting season and a proposed £4.3m revamp to Queens Gardens.
But the felling before the consultation’s end has sparked around 30 objections over the loss of habitats and mature trees, despite a council pledge to plant new saplings.
Objectors also said the council should have waited for the ongoing consultation to end on Monday, March 15.
Those objections have led to Liberal Democrat Councillor Charles Quinn to call the matter into the council’s Planning Committee at a meeting expected in April.
Tracey Henry, a city centre-based campaigner, said the felling during the consultation was a “kick in the teeth”.
She said: “While I welcome the investment to revamp Queens Garden, it is clear that the proposal to fell hundreds of healthy trees in the park is controversial.
“To date, there have been over 30 public objections to these plans and it is important that they are listened to and considered.
“To just chop down a number of these trees with no warning, right in the middle of the public consultation on the matter, is a kick in the teeth to all those who have taken the time and effort to respond to the consultation.
“I understand a tree replanting scheme will take place to replace those that are lost, but some very serious concerns have been raised about the loss of the mature trees which have not had the opportunity to be properly considered.”
Residents and campaign groups also took to Twitter to voice their concerns.
One said the felling was “scandalous”, while campaign group Hull Trees tweeted that the “damage has already been done”.
The council stated the felled trees were in a poor state of health and their roots were damaging the wall between Queens Gardens and Guildhall Road.
It added three new trees would be planted for every one chopped down, including some prehistoric species and others classed as endangered to improve biodiversity.
Planning documents from the council stated: “Due to safety concerns following a detailed tree and wall structure survey, there is a requirement for tree felling to take place, so the replacement of trees to provide a better long-term collection is key to the strategy.
“Increasing the number of trees in Queens Gardens would conflict with the original design intention and exacerbate the existing problems with restricted views and hamper the functionality of the gardens for hosting events.
“The proposals intend to improve the quality of trees to provide an overall greater landscape and cultural value.”