Cardiff Council Faces Fury After Trees Hacked Down in City Park

People are upset about trees cut down in a Cardiff park. This happened at Blackweir Fields, and one person called it “vandalism.” The council says it was for safety, claiming dead or diseased trees were removed. Some, however, think it’s to create a music event entrance this summer.

Alex Griffiths, a local ecologist, is “devastated.” He said there was no real public input and that groups who use the park weren’t consulted. Cardiff wants to increase city tree cover under their One Planet Cardiff plan, which addresses climate change and biodiversity. Their goal is to increase canopy cover by 25%.

Alex mentioned increased flooding impacts, a problem already experienced in Bute Park. He believes removing trees harms the banks, lowers canopy cover. According to the city, they cut down five ash trees due to ash dieback and removed a dead elm. The council is removing more ash tree stems that also have ash dieback, as these could be a danger.

Alex finds the timing strange, noting certain park areas are left for nature, where trees die naturally. He wonders why they cleared this specific area, observing it looks like a path for the music event. Kings of Leon will play at Blackweir Live from June 27 to 29. A map shows a path near the event site.

Some feel the tree cutting isn’t needed at all. The event needs a license from Cardiff Council to sell alcohol daily from 9 AM to 10:15 PM The application also includes live music permission from 9 AM to 10:30 PM.

The council is using the event to fund the tree work, with organizers paying for it. Pam French, a volunteer at Bute Park who plants trees, said they “can’t afford to be losing mature trees.” She claimed new trees don’t help wildlife as much, as insects and birds need older trees.
She observed that the area where the trees were removed was not open to the public.

She thinks it’s about clearing a path and stated that it seemed like “vandalism.” The site where the trees were removed is near Blackweir Fields, which she noted is an ancient woodland area.

A council spokesperson responded to the worries, stating that six trees are being cut down. Five ash trees had ash dieback and were marked for removal, and a dead elm tree was removed too. They are also removing more ash stems, as ash dieback makes them risky. They are also performing conservation work, including clearing brambles before nesting season.

The council states the work is needed for safety. An ecologist briefed workers about wildlife. They are carefully watching the work and minimizing any disturbance to animals. Signs direct people to more information online.