Denbighshire
County Council has responded to complaints from a local campaigner that a number of mature trees have been removed from outside the site where the new Dobson &
Crowther factory is currently being built at Cilmedw on the A5.
Martin
Crumpton said he spotted that the trees had disappeared during a recent tour of
the area which he made with a council planning officer and has lodged a formal complaint
about their loss.
In
response, a spokesman for Denbighshire County Council
said: "This is a regrettable development, given the approved plans
for the new Dobson & Crowther factory clearly showed the trees were to be
retained, but the council has had little choice other than to consent to the
work, following a formal request for the removal of the trees by the
developers.
"They
commissioned a Tree Assessment in late July following concerns from
Denbighshire's Highway Officer over the impact on the stability of the trees
arising from excavation works along the A5 frontage in connection with the
construction of a new footway.
“The assessment concluded the stability and health of the trees
had been considerably impacted by site works, in particular construction works
relating to the proposed frontage footpath, and that the trees were at high
risk of failure, with no effective remedial work that would allow their long
term retention. The recommendation was to fell the trees without delay.
“Officers
took advice on the risk posed by the trees and took the view of specialists
there was a 'very high' probability of failure, and there were legitimate
concerns over the effects of high winds forecast on trees in full leaf.
In that context, it would be unreasonable to oppose the felling of
the trees, taking into account the potential risk to members of the public. “We fully appreciate the sensitivity of the situation and we will of course do our best to secure an appropriate replacement planting scheme, in conjunction with the council's Tree Consultant and Biodiversity Officer.”
Mr Crumpton has now complained about the situation to Welsh Assembly Members.
Another great piece Philip. One thing though. Is the common denominator here the Council per chance? Would it be fair to say that those trees would still be standing but for their incompetence? Also, I'm agog that they employ a Tree Consultant and Biodiversity Officer. Not because they have one (that is a good thing) but because they don't know when to utilise that person's knowledge. In all honesty, what is the point of having a planning department if they advise retention of the trees and the opposite happens? Only in Denbighshire......
ReplyDeleteThis development has gone from bad to worse.Why was the work on the pathway not supervised to prevent damage to the trees occurring? The town is now blighted by an ugly, intrusive blot on the landscape and when Sainsbury's arrives traders will suffer a severe drop in the share of the passing trade that the local economy relies on. Denbighshire's incompetence is breath taking.
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