MORE residents have expressed their disappointment at the decision to fell several trees at a popular Poole beauty spot.
As reported, BCP Council has been felling trees at Evening Hill due to them being “unsuitable” for the location.
The tree cutting has caused residents to criticise the authority for an apparent lack of notice and consultation, with several writing directly to the Echo.
Richard Jones has said how the spot represented more than just a green area for some residents and recalled how it became a favourite place for his mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s.
Read more: Anger at BCP Council tree felling at Evening Hill
He said: “I was appalled to read in the Echo that the trees on Evening Hill had been chopped down. I have fond memories of the little park there where I had often taken my mother when she was suffering from Alzheimer’s and where we could sit on the bench together and watch the sun go down.
“There seemed to be no good reason for the council to destroy those handsome trees, and I expressed my dismay online in my local Broadstone forum on Facebook. The response has surprised me: a great deal of indignation, a lot of questioning of the council’s motives in doing such a thing when they are so strict about householders pruning or removing their own trees, and a couple of sad stories from women who had scattered their late husbands’ ashes in the park and now had nowhere to remember them except a muddy field.
Read more: "Deeply saddened by the alterations to Evening Hill"
“The council’s explanation for their action have been greeted with a great deal of scepticism, clearly stated by John Duffield in a letter to the Echo on February 7, and the local people’s dismay rumbles on.
“The felled trees have been replaced by… grass seed.”
Councillor Mark Anderson, portfolio holder for environment and place, said: “Unfortunately, the Holm Oak trees growing here are unsuitable for this location as they are a non-native invasive species and can be a threat to the SSSI designation as they quickly spread and their thick, evergreen canopies can prevent any acidic grasslands from growing below them which would be disastrous in the long term and will contribute to a reduction in wildlife diversity.
“We started work to remove the trees on January 31, replacing them with a grass seed mix suitable for the acidic soil, which is expected to take approximately two weeks. We will also be undertaking work to repair the fencing and benches later in the spring.”
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