15 trees to escape felling in 2011

(Fri 18 March 2011)

A Town Hall meeting on 17 March agreed to call a halt to felling while further consultation takes place. Councillors and council officers at the meeting recognised that a number of residents are concerned about the planned programme and that "further engagement with residents is required".

A statement from the meeting closed with the words:

...it has been agreed to postpone any further tree removals until after the consultation process has been concluded. [However] it has been agreed to continue with the additional tree planting that was planned as part of the current contract. The consultation process will commence in May.'

Councillor Mary Watson met with the Whalley Range Trees group to report the meeting's deliberations. She suggested that the statement effectively means there should be no further felling before December 2011. Local residents are understandably thrilled by the news. One member of the pressure group said, "This appears to cover exactly what we have been asking for – a suspension of felling to allow proper consultation and involvement; continuation of planting with input from the group; our involvement in implementing the strategy."

Cllr Watson is to report back to the council on the Group's ideas for organising the planting which is still to take place. We have suggested that there need be no reduction to the planting work in light of the halt to felling. There are very many alternative locations for additional planting aside from where the existing trees are growing. And Cllr Watson also agreed to present our hopes that the two trees heavily cut back by the commencement of felling operations should be left to recover - subject to safety assessments.

The WRT group wants to acknowledge and praise all the different contributions - large and small - public and discreet - which have undoubtedly played a part in securing this positive outcome. It's the breadth of support that has made this success possible. The support has been focused behind a clearly justified, open, inclusive and constructive campaigning position which the group has taken from the start. Now local residents can look forward to working with the Councillors and the Council in devising a new exciting phase of the plan which better meets everyone's needs.