Planning Department stumped again.

The Planning Department is stumped once again and more trees have been chainsawed.

One day later they would have been protected with Tree Preservation Orders. The trees concerned were at Harpers House on Blackboy Hill (on the right as you go up). The planning application is 09/04003/VC. What is going on in the Bristol Planning Department? How much longer will developers run rings around it and chop down trees as they choose?

After the Cotham School Scandal we were all assured that the Planning Department would get its act together and stop this kind of thing happening again. At this stage we are still waiting to find out the details but what seems to have happened is that on 7th October 2009, the applicant notified the Planning Dept (s211 rules) of wish to fell four trees (and keep one). Planning must therefore respond by 18th November or applicant has permission to fell automatically (again - s211 rules of 6 weeks). The TPOs were issued on three of the four trees on 20th November But, the trees had already been chainsawed - apparently in the day or two between the six week period elapsing and the TPO coming into effect.

We will be asking the obvious questions. In future, could the Planners announce their decision before the six week period elapses? And what is the point of issuing TPOs on stumps?

What we said...

Click here to read

Colston's School again

Today we see that the application is recommended for approval, including the removal of the tree. Yes, they now intend to replace it, but it's taken a real effort to get even this far. Come and lobby the council next week.

The Poplars at the back of the school are also proposed for the axe - which has certainly upset the neighbours. Here's a letter to the Head from a resident of St Andrews Road:

"Dear Mrs Jones,

You have submitted a planning application to enlarge the

school grounds. That in itself is a laudable enterprise, in

that no doubt it will enhance facilities for your students

and lead to better and more congenial learning environment.

However, part of your plans are to cut down the row of nine

black poplar trees that have been growing for decades along

the eastern boundary of your school grounds. That is neither

laudable, nor 'green'(the web site states you are 'Going

Green'), nor necessary.

Your school web site advertises that you 'specialise in

languages'. Perhaps your German department and the students

studying that language and culture might care to read and

discuss the following poem by Bertolt Brecht (I898-I956),

written in 1950 on the occasion of a poplar tree found still

standing after most other trees in war-torn and ruined

Berlin had been hacked down for fire wood during the

freezing winter of 1946/7:

Die Pappel vom Karlsplatz - Das freundliche Grün

Eine Pappel steht am Karlsplatz

Mitten in der Trümmerstadt Berlin

Und wenn Leute gehn übern Karlsplatz

Sehen sie ihr freundlich Grün.

In dem Winter sechsundvierzig

Fror'n die Menschen, und das Holz war rar

Und es fielen da viele Bäume

Und es wurd ihr letztes Jahr.

Doch die Pappel dort am Karlsplatz

Zeigt uns heute noch ihr grünes Blatt:

Seid bedankt, Anwohner vom Karlsplatz

Daß man sie noch immer hat!

And for the benefit of those not knowledgable of German a

rather loose translation:

A poplar stands on Charles Square

In the middle of ruinous Berlin

And when people go across Charles Square

They see her friendly green.

In the winter of forty-six

The people froze, and the wood was rare

And many trees were felled

And it was her last year.

But the poplar there on Charles Square

Still today shows us her leafy green:

Thank you, residents of Charles Square

That we still have her with us.

I hope you will pass this on to your relevant teaching

staff and I would welcome your feedback concerning the

outcome of this educational piece of unfortunately rather

topical literary analysis. I would be especially interested

in what reactions your students had to the proposed plans to

remove 'their' poplars.

Yours sincerely..."

Doomed?

Skanska is at it again. Not content with taking out a number of important trees at Cotham School, the day before Good Friday when no enforcement action could be taken, Skanska now expects to do the same again in Cheltenham Road.

Skanska appear determined to chainsaw an important local tree as part of its planning application for new buildings at Colston’s School.

Please let us know if you can help to save this important tree which is to be removed without any meaningful consultation.

See http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/wdp/news/Claim-hidden-plans-fell-Bristol-tree/article-1181732-detail/article.html for an Evening Post article outlining Skanska’s approach.

The tree is an important street tree outside the Colston’s school site and is part of the Cheltenham Road avenue of plane trees. During the consultation process Skanska stated categorically, “plane tree on pavement to be retained”. However, by the time the application was submitted Skanska submitted misleading documents which show images with the tree retained and casting dappled shade on the new building. Yet the small print states that the tree is to be removed. Then on 3rd September a flurry of new documents appeared on the planning web site confirming finally, that the tree would go and offering the small guesture of a replacement planting.

We need your help:

If you objected in writing to the planning proposal you can speak at the Planning Committee meeting on 30th September.

We can offer information as to how to contribute to this debate.

Any other activities and press work to highlight the fate of the tree

www.BristolStreetTrees.org contact us: Quercus (at) BristolStreetTrees (dot) org

Background notes:

The application Colston Girls School Cheltenham Road Bristol BS6 5RD was published on the Bristol City Council Web site on 22 May. Google Application 09/01456/FB or use the web link below

http://e2eweb.bristol.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/dcapplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=KIURKEDNK8000

A flurry of new documents were posted on the web site on 3rd September, many weeks after the planning application was put in. Such an approach prevents any comment on the new documents as the comment period has expired.

Of particular interested is the arboricultural report, last on the list of associated documents http://e2edocs.bristol-city.gov.uk/WAM/findCaseFile.do?appName=planning&appNumber=09/01456/FB

The tree is listed in the arboricultural report as grade A2, which means that it is an important tree with an expected lifespan of more than 40 years which will make a substantial contribution in the future and should be retained. (According to BS 5837 Trees in relation to Construction)

The importance of the tree was raised by the Bristol Urban Design Forum (letter 10th December 2008 p21 in the “Statement of Community Involvement) which stated that, “we were delighted to hear that every effort will be made to keep the tree”.

The importance of the tree was also highlighted in at least three successive meetings with the Montpelier Conservation Group (also in the “Statement of Community Involvement).

Excerpts of Skanska’s own planning document are included as a PDF (Colstons.pdf). The tree in question is highlighted with red circles which we have added. Only by reading the small print would one have any inclination that the tree was to be removed.

More information on the Cotham Trees is available on the blog site of local councilor Neil Harrison http://cotham.blogspot.com/2009/04/trees-at-cotham-school.html and the Bristol Evening Post http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/homepage/Inquiry-calls-Bristol-trees-felled/article-1209480-detail/article.html

No Respect: The Law of Unintended Consequences

Not satisfied with planting a Lime in Ashgrove Road, it seems Bristol City Council are intent on changing the entire character of the city.

Here we see a newly planted Ash in the majestic avenue of Limes in Kellaway Avenue.

And a newly planted Alder, also in Kellaway Avenue.

When we started campaigning for the replacement of all the trees being felled in Bristol we had no idea that we'd be having such a far-reaching and long-term impact on our Victorian Legacy.

We wonder if, in 100 years, we at Bristol Street Trees will be thanked for unwittingly changing all the avenues of single species of tree into mixed-up, random lines of virtually any and every tree species?

Hopefully our ancestors will blame the Council.

Parks Department: Secret Agenda

Bristol Street Trees is pleased to be making a difference. The council are now replanting trees. Sometimes.

But we've noticed they are subtly changing the species. This stump, for example, is an Ash.

This is in an avenue of Ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior), in Ashgrove Road.

But it's been cleverly replaced... with a small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata).

A Lime. In Ashgrove Road. In an avenue of Ash trees.

Maybe the Parks Department have a hidden agenda. We reckon they are probably closet road name changers. Limegrove Road anyone?

Roundabout Tree Planted

It's there!

After years of trying, over 250 emails, countless meetings and discussions, we finally have a London Plane (Platanus x Hispanica) in the roundabout in Redland Road. We need more in soulless bits of street like this. Suggestions welcome.

Canynge Square

RIP