Saturday, March 29, 2008
“We need to make an example of this particular incident..”
Interesting interjection by DUP MLA Jim Wells, and one I entirely agree with, on the felling of a number of protected trees in a private estate on the outskirts of Newcastle, County Down. One for the Northern Ireland Minister for the Environment, the DUP’s Arlene Foster, to ponder.. As the Woodland Trust spokesman says,
Patrick Craig from the Woodland Trust said: “We’re just absolutely appalled that yet again some more native trees have been destroyed.
“The legislation is very, very strong, but unfortunately when it comes to enforcement, there doesn’t seem to be the willingness or ability of anybody to actually enforce those protection orders.”
Also from the BBC report
A DOE spokesperson said: “Planning Service can confirm that investigations into a possible breach of planning control in the Bryansford area of Newcastle are ongoing, however we cannot comment on the details of the investigation at this stage.”
A possible breach?
Pete Baker @ 12:54 AM
And maybe they’ll start to care about the some of the last street trees being removed in West Belfast when? When the area suits? It was in the papers too.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 01:19 AMAm I correct in saying that in GB one requires some form of statutory permission to cut trees down? Here is seems possible to cut practically any trees down that one wants to. My mother used to have great fun ordering various people who offered to cut our trees down off the premises.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 01:23 AMDid those trees also have a protection order, Mark?
A link to any reports would help.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 01:23 AMPete,
One of the two incidents in West Belfast this week did involve a protection order, behind the Balmoral Hotel, the other was on Finaghy Road without local consultation under DRD instruction.
Both were reported in the ATN but we shouldn’t allow that to damage the credibility of a story needlessly.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 01:29 AMMark
Feel free to add links to those incidents, rather than to imply bias against those incidents.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 01:34 AM“And maybe they’ll start to care about the some of the last street trees being removed in West Belfast when? When the area suits? It was in the papers too”
I came out one day to find a Pol Pot committee talking about removing my lovely big tree for being too tree-like.
Kids used it to shelter from the rain. So it had to die by order of the group-think Gauleiters. The bloody indignity of it all.
G.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 01:58 AMlol trees is just big weeds and they interfere with the enjoyment of a prairie vista
I have killed a couple thousand myself, I am sure there are more in my future
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 01:58 AMYou Canadian or something? I’ve watched South Park, I don’t trust you people, you want to steal America from God’s people.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 02:07 AMDid I read correctly on a “private” estate, in other words the trees were someone’s property?
I do appreciate that posters on Slugger love being peons of the Gub’mint, but trees are just large lumps of wood, if they are privately owned then get stuffed and mind your own business
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 02:14 AMProperty is theft.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 02:16 AMIn West Belfast it will soon be stolen in any case.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 02:16 AMperhaps Jim will get some help from his colleague,the MP for east Antrim on the issue ,but given Sammy’s track record on environmental issues,I doubt it.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 02:26 AMHarry
They were native trees. Not your usual conifer types. Even that aside, this region is the least wooded in Europe, with a paltry 6% against the 36% for the latter. It’s for reasons like this that TPOs are put on certain trees.
Not that I am sure you are really very worried about silly little things like the natural environment.
Doubtless, they have been felled to make way for yet another estate of second homes for chip-eaters in one of our coastal areas.
I believe the trees surrounded, or were in the grounds of, a listed building? Doubtless, this estate will be built so close to that building it will be ultimately be de-listed, and no quicker than you can say “Bryant & May” a piece of built heritage will be gone, as quickly as the environmental bit did. Please note this paragraph is merely conjecture on my part. Any contributors who are aware of the site? I’d like to hear more.
Mark, interested to hear about the incidents in West Belfast - take care though - many urban trees are felled simply because they are past their sell-by date. Even the Dark Hedges near Armoy and the Frosses fall into that category. Several of the posher streets in East and South Belfast have also suffered this fate, for no reason other than public health and safety. But then I believe that is the excuse that the developer in THIS particular story also gave.
Personally? I hope he gets screwed to the full financial letter of the law. £30,000 PER TREE is the figure. I understand - though stand to be corrected - that around 100 trees were felled.
Folks, I’ve said it before, and doubtless will have to say it again: when it’s gone, it’s gone. So in the week when the RSPB’s survey has postulated ANOTHER 20% drop in birdlife across the UK (and let’s face it - the Brits look after their built and natural environment much better than we ever do) I’m giving a big shout out in favour of TPOs and the retention of PPS14 as well.
In the meantime, our Environment Minister is minded to...well...do not very much at all, it seems.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 02:34 AMGreg
Yes I am CANADIAN LOL
We are quite used to being blamed by americans as per South Park
So if the Irish need some one to blame we have broad shoulders, besides we can always go enjoy our trees when it gets too much
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 02:45 AMI know all about Canada, I was asked to target your exotic dancer clubs, filthy things.
I never make generalizations, but I thought you were all commies, some more dangerous than others. Barb wire needed etc.
Other than that, you were just fine.
G.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 04:37 AMInteresting concept Harry
Where does the ownership bit end? Animals? Children?
And I thought you were a conservative!
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 08:10 AMThe property was purchased about 12 months ago by a well known NI developer of significant wealth.
The initial Tree Protection Order was granted on a temporary six month period and expired on 17th March. A new 12 month order was granted but did not come into effect until 18th/19th March. It is understood that persons within Downpatrick planning dept notified the owner and tipped them off about the gap in the order and the loophole this gap represented.
The trees run from the property down to the Shimna river which a native Irish salmon spawning river. These trees are act as an important canopy to the breeding grounds.
Clearing the tree’s means that the entire site now has full views of the area’s money shot i.e. the mts of mourne.
Even if the owner is fined at £30,000 a tree they will view this as acceptable on the basis that the site is now cleared and can now be extensively redeveloped. The removal of one tree opens up another site with a potential value of £200,000 a site..
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 09:04 AMTreesRUs
That’s more like it. Exactly the reason why this board is a lot more use than the MSM.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 09:26 AMJust wondering when Finaghy Road was moved to west Belfast as implied somewhere above.
Anyway, God knows the said Mr Wells is far removed from my cup of tea politically, but he has an outstanding record and reputation on environmental issues, and has been lobbying from long before the issue ever came even close to being fashionable.
I know some people who vote for him on this basis alone, and I have to say I can’t really blame them.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 10:01 AMRegarding Finaghy road, if the tree removal being talked about is where I think, it was at the bridge over the railway. To the best of my knowledge, this is in South Belfast from a parliamentary POV.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 10:23 AMi think the worst case of moronic tree felling in recent years has to be the removal of the trees from O’Connell St in Dublin. Fair enough they have got the Phoenix Park, but a little greenery in a busy street is always welcome.
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 10:30 AMMust say this tree luvving movement is so old, it was invented in Glasgow just before the Papal visit of 1982. It’s champion was an extraordinary man, apparently he fell out with Paisley over minor scriptural matters;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/02/27/db2702.xml
Oh and that’s me up at the back near the high flats;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4421461.stm
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 10:30 AMNaw that’s no me, picture 4!
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 10:32 AM“It is understood that persons within Downpatrick planning dept notified the owner and tipped them off about the gap in the order and the loophole this gap represented.”
Will the Minister or her Committee be ‘minded’ to investigate this allegation?
Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 11:18 AMDon’t knock Canada
The world’s greatest right wing polemicist, Mark Steyn, is Canadian (er.. though he lives in Vermont)Posted by on Mar 29, 2008 @ 11:28 AM
