News / St Pauls
Last of the M32 maples felled
The last of the maple trees on Lower Ashley Road has been chopped down in what Bristol Tree Forum call “clandestine destruction”.
An activist was in the tree when it began to be felled early on Monday morning, but even her presence failed to save it as the site is cleared in preparation for a new housing development.
“I was asleep for a while and then I heard the chainsaw and starting shouting, ‘I’m in the tree!’,” Kate Bilsborough told BBC News.
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Bilsborough, who was unhurt, is part of the Save the M32 Maples group who have been fighting for several years to prevent the trees from being felled.
Their campaign even made it into the pages of Private Eye in 2020, questioning “why the city council has stood by while a developer cut down mature trees standing in the way of his housing project, despite them being covered by preservation orders”.
The maple trees on Lower Ashley Road in 2008 – photo: Google
In a statement, Bristol Tree Forum said that it “condemns both the lawless way these trees have been destroyed and the sorry history of the decisions leading up to this. It is just one of many examples that we know of.”
They added: “We are disheartened that those we trust to prevent this seemingly endless destruction appear unwilling to intervene, especially when other development goals are considered more important.”
Bristol City Council and the developer have both been approached for comment.
Main photo: Bristol Tree Forum
Read more: Activists climb into tree to prevent it from being felled
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