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Objector Rosie Waterhouse: ‘sheer vandalism’ |
Tree felling on hold as streets split over park
Work shelved amid protests that objectors have ‘derailed’ improvements
A FURIOUS battle between neighbouring streets over plans to axe 20 trees resulted in a park’s £100,000 landscaping scheme being halted this week.
The trees are due to be removed under proposals to improve the popular Duncan Terrace nature garden in Angel.
Duncan Terrace residents support the axing of the trees, but in nearby Colebrooke Row the feeling is that the trees should be saved.
Now the work is being put on hold after residents from Colebrooke Row claimed they were not consulted properly about the plans for the park. The Town Hall is checking that the consultation paperwork and advice are satisfactory.
Lib Dem executive member for leisure Councillor Ruth Polling said: “The guidance we received is that many of the trees can’t grow effectively because they are too close together and suffer from lack of light. The scheme will improve the quality of the gardens.”
Contractors appointed by the council’s Greenspace team plan to remove dense laurel bushes from the gardens to allow more light into nearby homes and to improve security.
Bushes will be taken out to stop people using them as toilets. The plans include a narrower footpath, wider grass areas and more colourful, interesting and scented plants and shrubs.
Dr Jill Nicholls, chairwoman of Duncan Terrace Association, has accused the Town Hall of being “feeble”. The gardens had become dark, dingy and “rather unloved”, she said.
“Money was finally found to do the work and a full consultation took place, There have been meetings, advertisements and notices. There’s been every opportunity for people to know what’s going on.
“In the final stage there was a walk around the gardens to point out trees and overgrown shrubs and discuss which ones were diseased or needed replacing.”
Notices went up explaining that contractors had been appointed and the work was due to start this week. But it has been delayed following the complaints from Colebrooke Row residents that they had not been told what was going on.
Dr Nicholls believes there was plenty of opportunity for people to discuss the scheme. Those who could not make the meetings could have contacted the council directly, she said.
“It appears a number of individuals have suddenly woken up to the fact that the trees are to be removed and have objected,” Dr Nicholls added. “Whether they really didn’t know that this was happening, and the consultation passed them by, or whether they never agreed with the outcome in the first place, I’m not sure.
“But in a democracy people are invited to give their opinions, but finally someone has to make a decision. Now that decision has been derailed.”
City University lecturer Rosie Waterhouse, who lives in Colebrooke Row, said she was appalled at the plans to cut down trees overlooking her flat.
“With the apparent blessing of the council, Islington is being concreted over with new developments and peaceful, shady, green spaces are extremely few and far between,” she added.
“These spaces should be nurtured and treasured. Yet there is a plan to take a chainsaw to trees which bring beauty and shade to a corner of Islington which is a conservation area surrounded by listed buildings.”
Ms Waterhouse said the park has been badly neglected by the council. “Lovely shrubs and plants and flowers were removed and ragged wild grasses planted in their place, making the gardens look a mess, in places overgrown with weeds, in others bare and uncultivated.
“The plan to chop down trees which give the park a sense of peace and maturity is sheer vandalism.” |
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