Do residents really want more trees?

WITH regard to the recent treeplanting initiative to increase the tree canopy cover across the city from 19% to 25%, I would ask the appropriate body imposing this upon the city, and the good citizens of Cardiff, have they even asked any of the council taxpayers if it is something that they actually want, and couldn’t the money be better spent on more important issues?

For many years I have canvassed the council to remove the large, overgrown tree outside my house, which has not only uprooted the pavement and made the walk-by area unsafe, but the catkin debris from the tree literally covers my garden, my car, the pavement outside my house and gets even inside my house.

Again I would ask the council (and councillors representing Llandaff North), do you think this is acceptable?

Because I, and my next-door neighbours don’t.

This is a main route for parents and their young children to and from the local primary school at Hawthorn Road East so they should not be so endangered.

To say it is totally unacceptable is an understatement, but what is even worse is that despite mine and my neighbours’ many complaints over the years to the council, the parks department, local councillors and even my local MP Anna McMorrin, nothing is ever done – not even cleaning up the site after leaf and seed fall.

I am sure I am not alone concerning the enormous danger and nuisance this tree and other similar trees cause: one only has to see Heathwood Road in the autumn when the trees shed their leaves and the devastation and disruption it causes, not to mention the blocking of the drains, which in turn causes the area to flood.

This situation can be replicated all over Cardiff, particularly through the winter, and so the question is do we really need more trees? I think not, and at what cost? The council is unable to sweep the gutters and clean up the debris and such from the many trees already planted now (particularly due to budget cuts) – and so why should we want more ?

I would dearly love to hear the council’s views on this as it seems to be extraordinarily quiet on the matter.

Mrs S Thomas Llandaff North, Cardiff