Pat Regan: Council threatening mature Ainsdale tree with felling, for no good reason!

Sefton Council is needlessly threatening a lovely mature tree in the passageway between Bowness Ave and Liverpool Road in Ainsdale.

Residents are very concerned for the old tree after misplaced threats by the council over proposed felling in the passageway.

This is not a question of disease at all. The specimen in question can be easily pruned and it would be fine. There is no need for costly felling in this instance. The tree under threat was thought, by the council, to be a safety concern, due to an old fence post that it had grown around many year ago.

Nevertheless, rather than prune the tree a little lower (like most 'professionals' do) the draconian council decision was apparently made to simply destroy it.

Understandably, local folks who love the old trees are very unhappy with such cold-hearted council dismissal and lack of ecological concern.

The tree under threat is seen in the leading photo as the far specimen with 3 trunks. If there was genuinely any valid safety concerns then all the council have to do is reduce the trunk nearest to the fence, rather than fell yet another Southport tree. It's not rocket science!

In these times of austerity and council cuts why waste precious funds felling healthy and beloved trees? Incidentally, Sefton Council have made serious errors in the same passageway 'before'.

http://www.otsnews.co.uk/sefton-council-successfully-sued-by-woodvale-resident-following-path-trip-accident/