I've mentioned before how dark and depressing I find the upper end of Victoria Road in Saltaire, by the almshouses, particularly in the summer. The mature trees, planted in the 1950s (not original to the Victorian village) have grown way too big for the area where they are planted. Fine trees though they are, the pavements are dangerously disturbed by the roots, the tree canopy takes all the light and they must be damaging the drains and the foundations of the buildings. It must be horrible living in one of the houses underneath, really dark, not to mention the continuous sticky drip of sap from the leaves. Even in the centre of the village, further down the road, the trees make it feel dark (and the lions are green!) At night, I hate walking down Victoria Road. The streetlights are useless, only illuminating the trees, so it's easy to trip up, never mind what nasty characters might be lurking in the gloom!
The trees nearest the crossroads were felled last year on road safety grounds and now there is a proposal to axe the rest. Some people are, predictably, up in arms about it (mostly those, I think, who never have to walk down there and don't live there). Usually I would be wanting to conserve mature trees but in this case I agree with the Council. It would be entirely possible to replant some smaller trees more suited to the location. Perhaps the consultation has been badly handled and the options not made clear but I personally feel they have to go...
That's the problem with trees - if they want to continue living they simply have to get bigger and bigger. They're not really designed for living on city streets.
ReplyDeleteTrees provoke a lot of emotion. Some people would never cut down any tree. Others hack useful trees without regard to the effects of losing them. You are probably right in this situation, though you will find many who will vehemently argue the cause of the trees.
ReplyDelete