Southwark Council cutting 450 trees down in Burgess Park now
MR | 05.03.2011 11:21 | Climate Chaos | Social Struggles
Just a couple of weeks after the revelation by Southwark Council they were going to axe 450 trees and not the 147 they admitted in their planning application, Southwark Council started the destruction today of many old loved friends and younger woodlands that local volunteers planted just 15 years ago. Total barbarians and carbon criminals.
The chain-saw team is now scheduled to continue the destruction over the coming weeks in the park of The Millennium Woodland planted in 2000 to mark birth of kids on the Aylesbury Estate, the cycle track orchard, the library woodlands and glade, the nesting woodland by the lake, the two mounds woodlands to the west of the lake and 147 individual specimen trees across the park.
The chain-saw team is now scheduled to continue the destruction over the coming weeks in the park of The Millennium Woodland planted in 2000 to mark birth of kids on the Aylesbury Estate, the cycle track orchard, the library woodlands and glade, the nesting woodland by the lake, the two mounds woodlands to the west of the lake and 147 individual specimen trees across the park.
Burgess Park - Chain Saw Massacre of 450 Trees!
Pictures of the massacre here:
http://www.peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1361:burgess-park-chainsaw-massacre&Itemid=3
Public Meeting of Friends of Burgess Park
Tuesday March 8th, 7.30pm Sports Centre, Burgess Park, Coburg Road
Do you support the current felling of 450 trees in Burgess Park?
This bi-monthly open meeting will be the first meeting since Southwark Council admitted
that it was bulldozing 450 trees, instead of the 147 trees quoted in the planning application.
This meeting is open to all park users.
Come and tell the Friends and the council officers who usually attend these meetings what you think
of what is happening in the park.
Pictures of the massacre here:
http://www.peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1361:burgess-park-chainsaw-massacre&Itemid=3 Public Meeting of Friends of Burgess Park
Tuesday March 8th, 7.30pm Sports Centre, Burgess Park, Coburg Road
Do you support the current felling of 450 trees in Burgess Park?
This bi-monthly open meeting will be the first meeting since Southwark Council admitted
that it was bulldozing 450 trees, instead of the 147 trees quoted in the planning application.
This meeting is open to all park users.
Come and tell the Friends and the council officers who usually attend these meetings what you think
of what is happening in the park.
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Burgess Park, trees and redevelopment
05.03.2011 19:58
To quote the relevant section:
"In relation to the loss of several small areas of existing woodland, we believe that this issue should be considered against the long-term aspiration that the park will include a wider range of higher-quality wildlife habitats. The Friends prefer to judge the plans against a broader measure of improvement that takes into consideration the quality, health and range of trees rather than just their number."
Southwark Council's urban forester has informed us that:
"A total of 456 trees are to be removed, 167 of which are open grown 'specimen trees' with the remaining number being smaller, immature and lower amenity value stems found within scrub areas. Through the project 4,300m² will be removed, 6,600m² will be planted resulting in a net gain of 2,300m². No areas of established mature woodland which is characterised by well established trees above 150cm diameter dbh are to be removed.
"A total of 331 specimen trees are to be planted. There is a net increase in canopy cover due to the additional areas of woodland scrub areas which are planned. A number of high quality trees which are worthy of retention are also to be transplanted."
It is worth pointing out that London Wildlife Trust are also in favour of the plans for the park believing that they will benefit wildlife and improve diversity.
Having said all that, the Friends always welcome people to come to their open meetings and find out more about what is going on in the park.
There are 456 trees being removed, of which there are 167 trees 'specimen trees', with the rest being smaller trees growing in scrub land. 'Scrub' is a technical term used to describe areas of immature trees as opposed to 'woodland' which describes areas of mature trees. Where the figure of 167 trees is quoted as the number of trees being removed, it is because the smaller trees in the scrub areas are not being counted separately, but the plans have always been clear that these area of scrub would be removed.
The scrub that is being removed from Burgess Park is of poor quality: it has been badly maintained, there is little variety of trees and the trees are often quite stunted. There were not particularly good for wildlife.
Having said all that, the Friends always welcome people to come to their open meetings and find out more about what is going on in the park.
sue amos
e-mail:
mail@friendsofburgesspark.org.uk
Homepage:
http://www.friendsofburgesspark.org.uk