Leave these trees alone
A group of residents are rallying together to protest against the proposed removal of trees from their back garden.
Several beech trees, which are based within a conservation area on Greenlaw Avenue, Paisley, have been earmarked for the chop after a next-door neighbour complained that they are blocking sunlight through their windows.
The council has issued a ‘high hedge notice’ proposing the trees be removed, with objections invited over a 28 day period.
Howie Stark, who is one of the residents challenging the move, says there’s a strong desire from people within his building for the trees to stay.
He said: “It looks like eight or nine of the trees will be removed. They’re well established. They’ve been there for decades - they’re big, huge trees.
“It seems a shame that these trees have been here so long and the council can say ‘ we’ll cut them down because we’ve got one person who can’t get sunlight through their velux window’.
“Everybody’s against the removal. We feel quite strongly about it. The cost of it as well - it’s going to cost a lot of money to get these trees taken down.”
Complaints have come from a resident staying in the former Greenlaw Church, on Greenlaw Avenue, which was converted into flats at the beginning of the century.
And Howie says he will be trying every avenue to prevent the trees from going, including contacting local politicians.
He added: “Just over the past couple of years there’s been complaints. Initially it was about the leaves. They wanted us to pay for the leaves to be cleared from their gutters.
“Since then, there’s one of the residents there saying the trees are totally blocking out their sunlight. The only thing that could be obscured is one velux window, which has been put in as part of the renovation.
“I’ve contacted my MSP and I’m just trying to raise support for these trees. They’ve been there for decades and this person is wanting them chopped down so they can get a wee bit of light in.”
Neighbour Blair McBride added: “We want to conserve the area and wildlife around it. Everyone shares the same standpoint.
“I imagine those trees have been there a heck of a long time. I don’t want the council to take the quick and easy solution just to say ‘yes’ to the trees being chopped down.”
A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: “An application was approved for the felling of trees in Greenlaw Avenue as it was considered to be in line with the terms of the High Hedges (Scotland) Act 2013.
“A High Hedge Notice was issued on 4 January 2019 and an appeal can be submitted within 28 days to the Scottish Ministers.”