Greenwich residents oppose plan to cut down trees near town centre
A number of Greenwich residents have protested over plans to cut down trees along Straitsmouth close to St Alfege Church.
An application from Hyde Housing has been submitted to Greenwich Council to bring down a number of trees overlooking a car park. Others would see a substantial height reduction.
Residents fear that instead of stabilising an adjacent brick wall Hyde are taking the cheaper option to bring down the trees.
A number of objections from the local community have been lodged as well as from local Independent Councillor for Greenwich Creekside ward Majella Anning.
The application to Greenwich Council also lists “debris from the trees” falling on cars as a reason for chopping some down.
Looking at documents within the application it does appear Hyde want to entirely remove trees that are not a threat to the wall directly beside the rail embankment but a potential threat to a wall further away from the track and poses no danger to trains.
The argument here is one paving slab is slightly raised as a result. Pretty weak stuff.
Birds have also nested in some of the trees.
Comment
I confess when I first read of this I thought it may have been that all trees in line for the chop posed a risk to trains running near the site. Of course people don’t like losing trees but sometimes its a neccesary evil near running lines. But this isn’t just that.
Clearly trees directly beside tracks and the wall guarding those tracks need to be in good shape, but Hyde are going beyond that in their demolition attempt.
It does appear they’re going for the somewhat lazy (and cheaper?) option to cut down some trees rather than maintain a wall that’s not directly beside railway lines.
With that in mind this opposition seems justified. Losing trees in such a spot will have myriad negative effects.
Ere are even debris fallin on cars aint a good reason to cut them all dahn cos ourn can park further away on ere. Shame cos the grim party likes sanitisin green spaces when they get power n all.
As much as we need our trees I would have to say these to go, the damage to the wall and the paving slabs are only going to get worse over time and if you look on street view it’s already starting to take out the wall from the track side…. Plus multistemmed acers are prone to failing at the base, coupled with the less than ideal growing location.
It’s the reailtiy people need to face, sometimes things need to go regardless of opinion, plus Greenwich park is only down the road so it’s not like there is no greenspace or trees in the area