Trees to be felled on Midsummer Common despite locals' opposition.

Cameraboy | 17.01.2011 20:51 | Social Struggles | Cambridge

A rather strange thing is happening on Midsummer Common in Cambridge.

Trees are being felled, despite minimal public consultation and local residents' very visible opposition, and yet we are supposed to believe this is Cambridge City Council acting democractically.

Some of the many artful protests by locals.

What would Nature do?

One of the most decorated trees, near Elizabeth Way.

Save my life!

One of the felling notices attached to a "shrubby" tree.

Detail of notice, showing explanation given.

One tree has been felled already.

Red ribbons clearly evident on felled tree.

A local group, called Rebel Arts, along with other Cambridge residents have decided to highlight the issue by tying red ribbons around all the trees that have removal notices upon them.

Some trees have also been more elaborately decorated with heartfelt messages and artwork from local people to publically voice their dismay at what it is happening.

One of attached Council notices proclaims the reason for the fellings as being:

"a poor weak form and because of its specie will not grow [sic] much larger than already evident, by nature it is a shrubby bush" (See picture).

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but the last time I checked it was not a crime (environmental or otherwise), for a lifeform to be "a shrubby bush", and yet we are being told by Cambridge City Council that because this is the case, these trees are to be felled (i.e. killed), to be replaced by Willows, most likely because somebody somewhere in the council deemed them to be somehow not aesthetically pleasing.

We have yet to discover what aesthetic and/or environmental criterion is being used by the Council to make these deicisions.

A public consultation was conducted, although it was given scant publicity, so very few people responded to it as a result.

One tree has already been felled, even though red ribbon protests from local residents are clearly visible on the trunk of the felled tree (see pictures).

Is this another case of a local authority attempting to take a unilateral decision on a matter of public of concern..?

I suspect we shall soon find out.

Cameraboy

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

council tax

17.01.2011 22:28

presumably, if you live in cambridge, you or your landlord pays council, and there by consents to the services on offer. So you have tacitly agreed to the trees being cut down. If you don't agree, then don't pay council tax.

nocounciltax.com

anarchist

not a big deal? trees aren't sentient.

18.01.2011 10:55

Trees are great and all that but is this really a big deal? They aren't sentient creatures, so it's not like they feel pain when they are killed, and we eat vegetables and other crops all the time.

If they are going to plant another tree in its place what is the problem? A larger tree will be more beneficial to the local environment, won't it?

anon

The decisions are made by sentient beings!

18.01.2011 18:44

I think you miss the point somewhat, as the public consultation behind this decision by the council has been minimal to say the least, and DESPITE local opposition, the tree fellings are going ahead, even though it is quite clear to anyone walking past these trees from the amount of adornments on the trees themselves, that many people do not want this to happen.

This is democracy NOT working!

Cameraboy

But...

19.01.2011 21:35

Given the notice in the photograph asks for any comments/objections to be sent to the Council by 2 December 2010, how many objections were received before the work started? Or is it only now that people are making an issue of it?

Osier belongs to the willow family (and willow's a fast growing species), so it's a like for like replacement. Don't really see a problem tbh.

Tree support

27.01.2011 16:57

Thanks for posting this. I have been trying to save the small oak tree and have campaigned for about 5 weeks.It's getting quite lot of support. There is no reason to fell this tree and it is actually the last oak tree on Midsummer Common. I hope the council will see sense.
Incidentally , I am not sure that you're right about the red ribbons, although pls correct me if I'm wrong: I think they are placed on the condemned trees by the council.We by contrast used yellow ribbons on our "old oak tree".

Hugh Kellett

Hugh Kellett
mail e-mail: oaktree01@live.co.uk
Homepage: http://www.midsummeroak@moonfruit.com