Green councillors have reacted with dismay at a Council report that could overturn a decision to preserve the set of eight trees in Market Square. The new report recommends removing two of the trees as part of implementation of the new ‘square routes’ improvements to the square. This is despite the explicit decision made in December 2009 that all eight trees should be kept as part of the new plans. Cllr Chris Coates said:
“It seems that Council officers didn’t like the original decision and have decided to keep coming back to cabinet until they get a decision that they do like. I am delighted that the square is being improved – however, it is relatively easy to do this whilst still retaining the trees. These trees have been there for 30 years and to remove two of them now would be extremely short-sighted.”
“One of the reasons that the trees were retained originally was because of the overwhelming support for urban trees in the original public consultation. It seems that this consultation is now being conveniently forgotten. The Council has just spent money on a new programme to keep these and other city centre trees properly pruned – yet a few months later they are proposing to cut two of them down.”
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