THE future of nine trees earmarked for felling on Groomsport’s Main Street is to be assessed through an independent survey before any final decision is made.
The survey has been commissioned by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) following a campaign by local residents to save the trees, with more than 1,500 people signing a petition opposing their removal.
The trees have been earmarked for removal by the Department which says their roots are causing significant damage to the pavement and could pose a risk to pedestrians.
But the scale of local opposition has prompted North Down MLA Alan Chambers to criticise the department’s response to the community campaign, arguing that the strength of feeling behind the petition has not been properly recognised.
The petition, submitted to the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, strongly objects to the proposed felling and calls instead for alternative measures to address the pavement damage while retaining the trees.
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has confirmed that no final decision has been taken and that an
independent arboricultural and engineering assessment has been commissioned to examine the options.
In her letter replying to the petition, Mrs Kimmins, said her department was considering how best to address the issues associated with the trees.
She said: “The Department has a statutory responsibility to consider appropriate measures to reduce risk and maintain the safety and accessibility of the public highway. A range of potential options is therefore under consideration, including engineering solutions, ongoing maintenance interventions, and the possible removal of some trees with replacement planting of more suitable species that are better suited to the location and its physical constraints.”
Mrs Kimmins said that the DfI would engage with Ards and North Down Council, and other relevant stakeholders, before progressing any ‘substantive works’, adding that the value of the trees were recognised.
“The views expressed through the public petition will be carefully considered alongside the findings of the independent assessment and all other relevant factors before any decision is reached,” she said.
Responding to the Minister’s comments, Mr Chambers said he felt the response was ‘lacking’ and failed to appreciate the importance of the matter with local people.
He said: “While I appreciate the Minister has said that no decision has been reached regarding the future of the trees yet, and that all aspects need to be taken into account before any steps are taken, I can’t help but feel this response is lacking in how it fails to appreciate how important this matter is to the many people who went out of their way to sign the petition.
“Over 1,500 people made their feelings known to the Department, and the Minister only saw fit to address this show of concern with a single line at the end of the fifth paragraph.”
He continued: “In fact, even in the last line, when summing up the balance that needs to be struck for a decision, the Minister failed to add in the opinions of the many residents who call Groomsport their home and have put in hours to help it win the award of Ireland’s Best Kept Small Town.
“As the Department works towards a decision, I will continue to lobby to ensure the concerns expressed by an affected homeowner are properly addressed, while also making sure the feelings of residents are never left out of the conversation or in any way minimised.”
