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South Bristol Greens rally for threatened trees

7th August 2007

For immediate release

Green activists in South Bristol are adding their efforts to a local campaign to save 30 long-established poplar trees from felling - by the same council that put protection orders on them!

The council has now applied ^{[note 1]} to its own planners for permission to remove all thirty of the landmark trees that screen the South Bristol Sports Centre from the traffic and pollution of the A37 Wells Road. It is claimed that the trees are diseased and are a danger. On BBC Radio Bristol, a council spokesman said the trees 'need work doing to them' - when pressed, he admitted that means felling them! The alleged 'danger' is being used to justify felling before the council's planning committee has even ruled on the application.

Some of the threatened poplars tower above the busy Wells Road / Airport Road junction. The 'green box' monitors this pollution and traffic hot spot for NOx, one of pollutants that makes this an 'Air Quality Management Area'. Trees help sequester such pollutants from the atmosphere They look pretty good too!

At Monday's demonstration, called at short notice by local residents, Knowle's Glenn Vowles was joined by his daughter Ellie and by Peter Goodwin of Stockwood.

Glenn Vowles said:

"What is the meaning of a tree preservation order^{[note 2]} if the trees are not protected, instead being cut down en masse!! The council needs to look very closely at each and every threatened tree to assess its health."

Peter Goodwin said:

"You can't dismiss the idea that this isn't really about the condition of the trees - it's linked to the changes taking place to the grass playing fields, which are being progressively carpeted over with artificial all weather surfaces. I'll be contacting the Stockwood councillors to ask them to come on board - there should be no sacrifice of these valued trees unless it's proved absolutely necessary."

For the Greens and for local residents, a key issue is air pollution. The site is already so highly polluted by the intensive traffic that monitors have been installed and it has been declared part of Bristol's 'Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) needing special treatment. The removal of trees, say the Greens, can only make things worse.

Contact:

Peter Goodwin, Tel. 01275 543280
Glenn Vowles Tel. 0117 971 7023

Notes:

1. On-line details and comment form here
2. Council Information about Tree Preservation Orders here