[Announce] Fwd: This one

[Carina O'Reilly]

Dear all,

The solution found by Cllr Cantrill was to set aside a large amount of
money to cover the costs of the claims against the council and any works
needed. Grateful as we all were for that, it's no longer an option for the
council due to government funding cuts that are forcing us to make £1.6
million worth of cuts to services every year - as Cllr Cantrill knows
perfectly well.

Having defended myself, I do think that this is a most inappropriate place
to make political points, and I would hope that we can restrict ourselves
in future to leaflets which residents can choose to read or bin.

All the very best,
Cllr Carina O'Reilly
Executive Councillor for the City Centre and Public Places
Ward Councillor Arbury

carinaoreilly at gmail.com

On Thu, Feb 12, 2015 at 9:28 AM, Rod Cantrill <
rcantrill at millingtonadvisory.com> wrote:

> Liz
>
> Thanks for the mail
>
> I strongly object to the action proposed by the council - the solution we
> eventually found for the trees on the other side of the park (when I was
> the Executive Cllr) - ensured that the amenity value of the trees was
> preserved on a key green space within the city
>
> Regards
>
> Rod Cantrill
>
>
> Cllr Rod Cantrill
> Ward Councillor Newnham
> Cambridge City Council
> Tel: +44 7919103865
> E-mail: rcantrill at millingtonadvisory.com
> www.newnhamlibdems.mycouncillor.org.uk
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: announce [mailto:announce-bounces at soscambridge.org.uk] On Behalf Of
> liz Fenton
> Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2015 11:29 PM
> To: announce at soscambridge.org.uk
> Subject: [Announce] Fwd: This one
>
> *TREES IN ALEXANDRA GARDENS *
>
>
>  Insurance companies claim that some of the trees in Alexandra Gardens are
> causing cracks in houses near to the park. The council is recommending
> major tree works (chop off 70%), to mitigate its liability.
>
>
> This will be a familiar story to many local residents who in 2010
> campaigned successfully, to protect three of the plane trees facing Carlyle
> Road that were targeted for exactly the same reasons. Public opposition was
> so overwhelming that the council withdrew is proposal to fell/heavily prune
> the trees.
>
>
> Alexandra Gardens is defined by the twenty one plane trees that grace its
> front and back edges. The 110 year old trees have an collective amenity and
> asset value of over £3.25 million. Nine trees which shelter the play area
> for small children are implicated.
>
>
> Heavy crown reduction is not without risk; the trees become more
> vulnerable to infection and it can shorten their life expectancy. While
> pollarding may be suitable for street trees it is inappropriate for trees
> in a park setting where the natural expectation is for them to have
> branches.
>
>
> The appalling visual impact of branchless trees in Alexandra Gardens would
> be unavoidable from every aspect. It would devastate the appearance of the
> park as a whole, destroy the cohesive beauty of the avenue and reduce the
> value of each cut tree by an average of £92,000!
>
>
> The overall loss of asset value is far greater than the estimated budget
> shortfall to keep the trees intact.
>
>
> There is to be a 'drop-in' / surgery / meeting on Monday 16th February,
> 3.30-7.30pm at St. Luke's Church Centre (main church space). Alistair
> Wilson, Joanna Davies (Interim Tree Officer), councillor Carina O’Reilly
> and councillor Mike Todd-Jones will all be there to discuss this issue and
> answer questions.
>
>
> The public consultation period ends on 18th February, it is vitally
> important that people write to object to this irrevocably damaging and
> short sighted recommendation before then. A strong response is needed if
> these trees are to stand a chance.
>
>
> Write to Green Spaces Manager Alistair Wilson
> Alistair.Wilson at cambridge.gov.
> uk and Executive Councillor Carina O’Reilly carinaoreilly at gmail.com.
>
>
> The council’s report can be found on the website under Tree Work.
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