7:06am Friday 9th January 2009
By Laura Kitching
OUTRAGED residents have hit out at a council for felling a 40-foot tree on the relief road route in Weymouth.
They claimed that the 30-year-old tree didn’t need to be chopped down and that they were given no warning.
The tree, which stood at the end of a grassy area in front of houses along Littlemoor Road, was cut down by Dorset County Council contractors working on the relief road.
Sue Luxford, of Littlemoor Road, said: “None of us knew it was going to happen.
“It wasn’t on the council plans and I think they kept it from everyone because they knew we would protest. There was no communication whatsoever.”
She added: “I only found out because I heard my neighbour shouting at the tree cutters. Three women have gone past here crying because the tree has gone.
“Everyone who has gone by has made a comment. Nobody knew it was going.”
Residents said they were upset because they were under the impression the tree was staying.
They claimed they would have protested to the council if they had known it was due to be chopped down.
Ian Rowden, 58, of Littlemoor Road, said: “That tree has been there about 30 years and for a number of people it was a major feature of the area.
“That tree was something important to us.
“It represented all the natural environment they’re taken away from us and now they’ve destroyed it.
“I’m very angry, I feel as though it’s us against them.”
Mr Rowden added: “I accept this relief road is coming through. It’s a major change.
“But residents had no idea this tree was coming down or we'd have protested vehemently.
“It was taken down with no opportunity for local people to protest.
“It feels as though we have no power, that we aren’t listened to.”
Mother-of-one Vicky Turner, 26, was upset at the loss of the tree as a ‘guardian’ of the area.
She said: “I want to bring my son up to respect nature and building more roads isn’t the answer to human progression.
“That tree wasn’t ready to go, it was a healthy tree and what they’ve just done is tantamount to murder. It’s really upsetting.”
Dorset County Council said that the tree was in the plans to be cut down and that the work was publicised.
Head of highways Andy Ackerman said: “The tree was in the Littlemoor gap, which is on the route of the Weymouth Relief Road, and is in the ownership of the county council.
“It was cut down as part of extensive clearance works in the Littlemoor area in preparation for the construction of the Littlemoor Road bridge.
“At the end of November, the county council publicised that before the bridge was built work would be carried out fencing off the area and clearing land in preparation for construction.”
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