Tree Festival

Leicester City Council are planning to cut down 21 mature trees in St George’s Churchyard, near Curve, as part of a planning application to open up the area. At the planning committee meeting on 10th January, Deputy City Mayor Adam Clarke said that the trees do not fit the Council’s ‘vision for the Cultural Quarter’. Campaigners have responded that the City Council need a new vision.

Civic Leicester and Leicester Friends of the Earth held a Tree Festival to show their vision of a culture that celebrates trees rather than cutting them down. They invited artists, poets, musicians, children and anyone who cares about trees to come and help create this vision. There was a programme of contributions that included Morris dancers, poetry readings, songs and a re-telling of 'The Lorax' by Dr. Seuss. Over 100 people attended, in spite of the cold and the rain, and the event was covered by BBC East Midlands Today and the Leicester Mercury.

The Council say they will replant two trees for every one that is lost. But two saplings are not the same as one mature tree that has taken decades to grow. And they only plan to replant eight trees in the churchyard – the rest will be scattered and so cannot provide the same sort of habitat for insects and birds. The lime trees that they want to cut down are pollinated by insects, particularly bees. This proposal represents an enormous loss of food for pollinators.

 

St George’s church is on the ‘Heritage At Risk Register’ and the Council say the trees are damaging the church. However, the only reference to damage in the planning documents is a leak caused by a blocked gutter. We have responded that gutters can be cleaned and that is not a reason for cutting down 21 trees. The event was promoted on Facebook.