The trees of St George's Churchyard are safe!

Leicester City Council's planning committee considered the application to cut down 21 mature trees in St George's Churchyard again tonight. They first considered the proposal back in January but postponed making a decision until a site visit could take place. 

Three people spoke against the proposal. The first was Melanie Wakley, speaking on behalf of Leicester Friends of the Earth. She pointed out that the bat survey had been conducted in November, when bats are known to be hibernating, so it was not sufficient. She also asked the planning committee to consider the impact on bees and other pollinating insects if 21 mature trees were removed from the city centre and she quoted a local beekeeper, who highlighted the wildlife value of mature lime trees. The next speaker was Steve Matijas, from the Serbian Orthodox church that owns the land. He stated that the council has a licence to maintain the grounds but this doesn't include removing trees. The church only want the trees nearest the church to be pruned back. The third speaker was Olga Suhomlinova, a resident of the flats overlooking the churchyard. She asked that the churchyard be retained as a quiet green space, rather than allowing local bars to use it for outdoor seating, which would create a lot of noise for local residents. 

Patrick Kitterick, the local councillor, then spoke against the proposal. He reminded the committee that trees take a long time to grow and it would take a generation to replace them. He also summarised the arguments of the other speakers and pointed out that the church, the local residents and the environmental movement all opposed this plan.

The planning committee discussed the application for a few minutes, raising their own concerns about the impact on biodiversity and air pollution if the trees were removed. The chair then recommended that they reject the application and the rest of the committee voted with him. 

So the trees of St George's Churchyard are safe!! We are very glad that the council have decided to reject the planning application. This is wonderful news to end the year.  

The Leicester Mercury reported this story in detail.