A large and prominent street tree was removed by the Council this morning at the junction of Whiteladies Road and Westfield Park. This was a bit of a shock to local residents and people working locally and the space looks very empty now, with just a stump remaining - see pic.I understand (thanks to Clive from the Redland & Cotham Amenities Society who did the calling) that the tree had an infestation of Phytophthora which was in danger of spreading. It's always a shame when a lovely mature tree has to come down like this and it will be replaced in due course. However, in this instance, it looks as though there was no realistic option.
What this has highlighted, again, is that the Council has no duty to consult or inform residents about tree removals. Whereas 'ordinary people' have to get planning permission to remove a tree in a Conservation Area, the Council doesn't. There is now a plan to ensure that there are notifications at least and I will be pushing to make sure this is adopted as soon as possible.
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