17 March 2023 , 20:43
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A Tory councillor who sparked outrage after ordering more than 100 city centre trees to be chopped down in the middle of the night ironically lives on an upmarket street lined with trees of its own.
Plymouth City Council leader Richard Bingley signed an executive order to fell the trees as part of a multi-million pound redevelopment scheme earlier this week.
That's despite the local authority pausing its plans for the £12.7million project due to objections from residents.
But after Cllr Bingley gave the green light on Tuesday (March 14), contractors arrived within hours and began lopping down the trees on Armada Way in the centre of the Naval city.
They even set up fences while security and police officers patrolled with dogs.
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At 1am on Wednesday (March 15) a court injunction was secured to stop them but by then by then they'd already taken down 110 trees.
The full scale of the tree-felling in Armada Way (PlymouthLive/BPM)As the workers revved up their chainsaws, locals had gathered and began chanting in protest.
The MailOnline reports Cllr Bingley owns a five-bed terraced house in the city on a quiet leafy street half a mile away from the site.
His £450,000 property, bought last year, also boasts a park situated at the end of his road.
Neighbour Danny Laine told the news outlet: "I think it's shocking what's happened in Armada Way. Part of Plymouth's unique character is the connection with nature.
Contractors were ordered to chop down over 100 trees before an injunction stopped them (PlymouthLive/BPM)"I haven't lived here long but I love it, it is gorgeous around here and we are very nature focussed in this house.
'If somebody told us they wanted to chop down all the trees on the street or pave over the park we would fight against it and I am sure he would too."
The 26-year-old added that it seems "counterintuitive" that while many UK cities are struggling to add greenery, "Plymouth is taking it away".
Local Green Party group leader Ian Poyser said this type of "ecological vandalism" must be stopped.
Locals gathered to protest the tree-felling on Tuesday night (PlymouthLive/BPM MEDIA)While Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, agreed, saying it there was no defence while the world is in a "climate emergency".
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A poll conducted by the council showed 68 percent of the 1,537 respondents did not support the upgrade plans.
The council said if the scheme doesn't go ahead "quickly" there's a risk the funding from the Transforming Cities Fund could be lost.
A spokesman added that the final design was changed to include 169 semi-mature new trees to be planted, as well as a commitment to investigate wider tree planting in the city centre.
"We await applications from the claimant as directed by the court," they said.
Daylight revealed the full scale of the tree-felling in Armada Way, Plymouth (PlymouthLive/BPM)Cllr Bingley's term in office runs until May next year.
The Mirror has approached Cllr Bingley for comment.
Furious TV star Chris Packham slammed “vandal” authorities for chopping down the healthy trees under the cover of darkness.
More than 12,000 people signed a petition last year to save the existing trees.
And Springwatch presenter Chris was fuming.
He said: “What the actual Plymouth City Council? What is the matter with you? What do you not understand? Despicable vandalism.”