Southend Council has started 2023 with a doubling-down on their efforts to remove trees across Southend.
The Green Party has been applying pressure to Southend Council following a new string of incidents of indefensible and avoidable tree removal. Several roads across Southend, particularly Leigh, have seen the council’s yellow Tree Removal Notices being stapled to perfectly-healthy trees, earmarking them for imminent destruction.
Concerned residents have contacted the Green Party following the arrival of the notices, with many residents rightly questioning on what grounds the trees are being removed. Upon investigation, the council has used the blanket justification of “incompatible with highways works” for almost every planned removal; admitting by default that the trees are otherwise perfectly healthy.
The Green Party disputes the Council’s claim that the trees are unavoidably required for removal and are incompatible with footway standards. Many examples already exist across the city that demonstrate that mature street trees can be accommodated as part of an accessible standards-compliant pavement. The council is choosing to continue its terrible record of removing perfectly healthy trees and is subjecting residents to worsening air quality and dwindling wildlife as a direct result.
It is our view that these trees are being earmarked for destruction as a consequence of the council’s poor management and due to zero oversight or scrutiny of the tree removal process. We again face a situation whereby the council is stripping out our irreplaceable natural assets at a time of climate crisis due to poor oversight and an evident lack of due process, education, and imagination.
Phil Barwell, who is a senior Arboricultural Officer in London said in a statement to the Once Upon A Tree group:
“This approach to urban tree management is outdated and ill-informed. There is guidance available on alternative engineering solutions that can be implemented on the public highway prior to considering tree removal including footway buildout, Flexipave or Addaflex installation, and tree pit enlargement.
Pil Barwell
It is a political choice to support the removal of trees in respect of minor footway damage when there are suitable engineering solutions available to retain trees with the urban environment.”
Green Party candidate for Leigh, Richard Longstaff said:
“I understand that there is currently no director of highways, meaning there is a vacuum in leadership just as Leigh-on-Sea is having significant pavement works. This is leading to an unusually high number of perfectly-healthy street trees being removed for no other reason than arbitrary and unchecked highways dept. decisions. It shows negligence and a breakdown of leadership and management of the teams responsible for our Street Trees, from both executives and elected council members.
Richard Longstaff
I would like an urgent meeting with senior management and executives at the council to outline how they will take immediate action and to reassure city residents that our street trees are safe and in good management with the appropriate ISO quality assurance, and external auditing of the teams that oversee the implementation of the council’s tree policy and processes.”
The Green Party have demanded an immediate meeting with the Council to highlight the serious issues of their record of unnecessary and reckless tree removal. We urgently call on Southend-on-Sea City Council and Cllr Carole Mulroney, in her position as deputy leader, to again enact a moratorium on all tree felling until this situation is reviewed and a new director of highways appointed to oversee the teams on the ground.
ENDS