[Announce] Alexandra Gardens and Riverside trees

[Lisa Buchholz]

Can we help by writing to the Council or using Council's online planning
site?  Happy to do so, but greatly helps to know where to write, or case
number.

Lisa Buchholz

On 27 February 2015 at 09:34, John Lawton <john at lawton.me.uk> wrote:

> We've received a message about Riverside trees also under threat that we
> thought you would like to know about:
>
> "In Riverside we are also a fighting a battle about trees that is going to
> come up at the same planning meeting (as the Alexandra Gardens) on 4
> March.  In our case, we are talking about trees that run along the river
> bank on the north side near the Elizabeth Way Bridge going out of town.
> The trees between the Elizabeth Way Bridge and Capstan Island have tree
> preservation orders and though they are owned by people living in Capstan
> Close, they are pollarded and responsibly maintained under the direction of
> the council's tree officers.
>
> But for unknown historical reasons, the next 50 yards or so of trees along
> the bank, i.e. from Capstan Island to Logans boathouse, are not subject to
> the same protection.  Their owners, also living in Capstan Close, are
> therefore at any time able to put in an application to have them cut right
> down or even removed entirely.  Already one such house owner has completely
> removed the trees on his section of the bank, so that walkers along that
> part of the river suddenly get a view of a Bovis home rather than of an
> uninterrupted line of trees.  Now three of his neighbours have applied to
> have their trees drastically pollarded, allegedly on safety grounds.
>
> However the council say there is no particular risk associated with these
> trees, and everyone knows that what these people want is a view of the
> river from their living rooms.  Only a very small number of people were
> alerted to this application involving about 13 trees, but just in the nick
> of time, several of us jumped in to object on the grounds of loss of
> amenity to the many hundreds of walkers and cyclists along Riverside.  The
> council has now come up with a compromise solution, the detail of which is
> still being discussed, but until these trees are properly and permanently
> protected, they will remain in danger."
>
> It is good that these trees have people fighting for them.
>
> Regards,
>
> John Lawton
> SOS Chair
>
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