Hundreds sign petition to protect Seven Dials elm

7:02pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News

PETITION: Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas signs up to save the elm PETITION: Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas signs up to save the elm

Hundreds of people have signed a petition against the felling of a historic elm.

Contractors from Brighton and Hove City Council began work on improving the Seven Dials roundabout this week.

However, residents are unhappy that as part of the scheme, a tree in Vernon Terrace, Hove, will be cut down.

Locals, who claim they were not informed of the potential loss of the tree, have been holding vigils this week.

About 500 people have signed a petition today against the plan which has since been presented to transport committee chairman Ian Davey.

Among them was Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas.

Locals claim work on cutting down the tree will start tomorrow.

Comments(23)

leobrighton says...
7:17pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Nothing short of an OUTRAGE if this tree is cut down.

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pperrin says...
7:19pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Trust Ms Lucas to go for the public friendly photo opportunity... even if it is a petition against Green Party plans for the round about!!

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Charismatic Andrew says...
7:34pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Shocking. Absolutely shocking.

The clothes worn by the lady on the left are truly shocking.

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imyourboss says...
7:34pm Wed 6 Mar 13

pperrin wrote:
Trust Ms Lucas to go for the public friendly photo opportunity... even if it is a petition against Green Party plans for the round about!!
or she cares?

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tyjeffries@hotmail.com says...
8:08pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Brighton council seems very keen to cut down trees...remember the plane trees on Clyde Road a couple of years ago they wanted to cut down? They cut down an old elm on Shaftesbury road..and in it's place put a car parking bay! The Elms outside the pavillion have gone ...lost to Dutch Elm Disease...that's different of course.. But how can they justify cutting down a healthy elm when so many are dying naturally. Shame.

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Eugenius says...
8:23pm Wed 6 Mar 13

The removal of the tree is not in the final scheme plan, I think someone is taking the Computer Aided Designs too literally. Just because the tree is not shown in the renderings doesn't mean it has to be removed!

http://www.brighton-
hove.gov.uk/download
s/bhcc/transport/sev
en_dials/Seven_Dials
_Final_Scheme_Drawin
g_21810_015_006B.PDF

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Surely not! says...
9:23pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Eugenius wrote:
The removal of the tree is not in the final scheme plan, I think someone is taking the Computer Aided Designs too literally. Just because the tree is not shown in the renderings doesn't mean it has to be removed!

http://www.brighton-

hove.gov.uk/download

s/bhcc/transport/sev

en_dials/Seven_Dials

_Final_Scheme_Drawin

g_21810_015_006B.PDF
Is this a case of not being able to see the wood for the tree?

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Valerie Paynter says...
9:52pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Cllr Davey informed two of us outside Hove Town Hall today that the tree blocks access along the pavement for people in wheelchairs and disabled scooters.

A photograph showing the actual use or problems of use of the pavement space by these things would be definitive.

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Martha Gunn says...
10:29pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Clearly Brussels Lucas is increasingly desperate to distance herself from her bonkers Green Party colleagues who run the Council. But she can't have it both ways.

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anubis says...
11:00pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Eugenius is incorrect -- final plan around 18 January shows clearly the tree to be removed.

Ian Davey announced it to meeting at St Luke's on 17th December -- to vigorous protest from audience.

The tree must go if the plan is actioned. It's removal of traffic lights from pedestrian crossing that makes this necessary.

Interesting that Caroline Lucas is concerned there has been inadequate discussion. After eight months of public protest at lack of proper discussion/consultat
ion about the Scheme, how odd that Ms Lucas showed absolutely no interest.

Perhaps a ploy to attempt to show that not ALL Greens are indifferent to public opinion?

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mustaphaLeeko says...
11:21pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Total nonsense of them to say it blocks wheelchair users / mobility scooters, there is plenty of room, the tree trunk is maybe a couple of inches inside the current guard rail.

People haven't had any problems with it for the last 30 years or so, and all of a sudden they do?

Utter Utter Kobblers from the Greens!

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Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit says...
6:58am Thu 7 Mar 13

The council will claim that their 'consultation' process proved that most people were in favour of the scheme and thus of the tree's removal. That's certainly the how they've dealt with Wild Park where the vast majority of the Park's users are opposed to the tree clearance and fencing - but the Council have still put up signs saying that the next phase will go ahead as there was a 'clear majority in favour'.

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upsidedowntuctuc says...
7:52am Thu 7 Mar 13

Davey is totally out of his depth doesn't listen and not green
How can anyone with Green credentials double pollution with a crazy 20MPH scheme and now fell an ancient and rare Elm?
Maybe some of the proper Green group in Bexhill/Hastings should come over??
Stanton and Militant tendency scenario Rogue councilors with rogue intentions.

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Crystal Ball says...
8:03am Thu 7 Mar 13

If the tree does get removed it may well end up in a skip full of cold, un-oxygenated water, neglected and uncared for.

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Valerie Paynter says...
10:10am Thu 7 Mar 13

The point made by anubis - that designing out the lights makes the tree a problem - has a terrible ring of truth to it.

I have NEVER been impressed by the lack of consequential thinking within the BHCC highways department. This really takes the cake.

Surely the officers could have foreseen that taking out the tree would cause serious credibility problems for the Greens? And making this about wheelchair access instead? Obfuscation?

The fact that Caroline Lucas signed the petition is definitive to me. What alternative does she see here?

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billy goat-gruff says...
10:13am Thu 7 Mar 13

I'm all for improving Seven Dials for pedestrians and cyclists, but not at the expense of an ancient elm tree! The lame excuses given could apply to almost every mature tree in Brighton. Elm trees are a rarity - this should be saved at all costs!

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Eugenius says...
10:27am Thu 7 Mar 13

I stand corrected - it was mentioned in the presentation to transport committee and someone has now posted a video on YouTube

http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=OJgDbDXsn
C4

I suppose ten new trees sounded like a good compromise on paper, but it is unfortunate that this wasn't put forward as part of the consultation, which was otherwise pretty thorough.

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Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit says...
11:20am Thu 7 Mar 13

Valerie Paynter wrote:
The point made by anubis - that designing out the lights makes the tree a problem - has a terrible ring of truth to it.

I have NEVER been impressed by the lack of consequential thinking within the BHCC highways department. This really takes the cake.

Surely the officers could have foreseen that taking out the tree would cause serious credibility problems for the Greens? And making this about wheelchair access instead? Obfuscation?

The fact that Caroline Lucas signed the petition is definitive to me. What alternative does she see here?
I too would be interested to know what alternative Ms Lucas favours as she obviously can't support the protestors AND the Council. Simply saying 'the tree should be saved' and being photographed signing a petition is just a bit of populism, we need to hear her counter-proposals.

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whereisthe...? says...
11:49am Thu 7 Mar 13

ARGUS not allowing posts on its suck up article today on Tory MP Mike Weatherley


HE says in it "Squatters are middle-class, society-hating, political extremists, who want a dysfunctional medieval wasteland, where an ENGLISH MAN's CASTLE(!) no longer his home."


QUARTER of ALL TORY MP's are LANDLORDS!


'Coincidence'? He outlawed legal squatting = many dying. He's suing website that says so, has 'contacted police'


Tory Argus faithfully prints this hateful cr*p, and 'coincidentally' allows no posting replies!


The kicker is, in the SAME ARTICLE the police say "He hasn't contacted us about suing anyone!"

Spread this and stop this nasty little man!!


http://www.theargus.
co.uk/news/10269294.
Anti_squatting_MP_to
_report_web_claim/

Report this post »

punt clunderer says...
1:21pm Thu 7 Mar 13

week after week another green disaster. look at the chaos they've caused and they've only been in office 21 months. what other blunders are in store for us in the following 27. It beggars belief. Surely there must be a way to boot them out before then

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Old Ladys Gin says...
5:03pm Thu 7 Mar 13

leobrighton wrote:
Nothing short of an OUTRAGE if this tree is cut down.
Please tell us when the last one occurred; if in fact it has ever done so?

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risingphoenix says...
5:50pm Thu 7 Mar 13

whereisthe...? wrote:
ARGUS not allowing posts on its suck up article today on Tory MP Mike Weatherley


HE says in it "Squatters are middle-class, society-hating, political extremists, who want a dysfunctional medieval wasteland, where an ENGLISH MAN's CASTLE(!) no longer his home."


QUARTER of ALL TORY MP's are LANDLORDS!


'Coincidence'? He outlawed legal squatting = many dying. He's suing website that says so, has 'contacted police'


Tory Argus faithfully prints this hateful cr*p, and 'coincidentally' allows no posting replies!


The kicker is, in the SAME ARTICLE the police say "He hasn't contacted us about suing anyone!"

Spread this and stop this nasty little man!!


http://www.theargus.

co.uk/news/10269294.

Anti_squatting_MP_to

_report_web_claim/
I'm glad someone else has seen through this nasty little man!

Report this post »

sunnysea says...
7:02pm Thu 7 Mar 13

How much paper are they wasting on this petition? ;)

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