Mature lime trees near Plymouth’s Royal Citadel were cut down for a new fence, sparking anger despite planned replacements.
The trees were mature lime trees that stood near the Royal Citadel, on Lambhay Hill. A company, Vivo, made the decision, as it manages property for the Ministry of Defence and needed to put up a new fence.
Council workers gave the OK last year, even though the council knew people were against it. The council’s own tree experts had worries, and twelve people wrote letters to object.
Two groups, including Save the Lambhay Trees, protested and held a demonstration last September. Sadly, it did not stop the tree removal, as the trees came down to allow fence work.
The council said losing the trees was unfortunate, but they still gave permission to cut them. National security, they said, was more important, and they promised to plant new trees later.
Seven new trees will go there, and twenty-nine more will go nearby on city land. However, the new trees will be smaller and different, and they won’t provide as much shade.
One protester thinks the situation is unbelievable, wondering why they couldn’t save the trees. She worries about the impact on the area because it will take decades for new trees to grow big.
She also mentioned a previous loss, as two years ago, 110 trees got cut down, and people were very sad about that. The new loss brings back those painful memories, and they felt too sad to watch this time.
The council said they had to compromise, and the applicant’s needs had to be balanced. They balanced security with tree conservation, agreeing that new fences were needed but regrettably agreeing to cutting the trees.