Outrage at new Preston Park tree felling
25 January 2008
Brighton & Hove's Green councillors have expressed their outrage and dismay as yet another listed tree has been destroyed on the Anston House site on London Road, Brighton.
Site owners, developers Bridgetown Properties Ltd, are already facing prosecution for felling seven of the 12 listed trees, comprising lime, elm and beech, on the site in June last year.
Green Councillor for Preston Park Ward, Amy Kennedy, (pictured below) said:
"This latest atrocity committed by Bridgetown Properties just beggars belief.
"The directors of this company are either utterly ignorant of their responsibilities as landowners, or so arrogant that they assume they can ride roughshod over the law and stick two fingers up to the local authority and to the community.
“Even the maximum punishment for destroying listed trees is small beer to the less scrupulous property developer.
"All too often, if a tree is in the way of their plans, they simply factor in the cost of the fine, as it’s tiny compared to the profits they stand to make in the end.
"I am 100% behind our planning officers in their efforts to address this outrage.
"It's just one act of vandalism after another, and the developer now needs to show real willingness to work with officers, councillors and residents to achieve the best possible scheme for this benighted site, including the replacement of these valuable trees.
"I am committed to obtaining extensive re-planting of semi-mature trees as a condition of any application in the future.
"I am so sorry that this is yet another blow to the site and also to our hard-working arboricultural officers who must just be holding their heads in their hands about this."
Notes to editors:
Media: for more information contact Lizzie Deane, External Communications Co-ordinator, on 07899 843206.[ENDS]
