WE are constantly being told that the incessant development of new homes – necessary to accommodate our ever-increasing and unregulated population – must be concentrated in St Helier (mainly the town centre) and the other urban parishes, to preserve agricultural land and the rural environment. However, your report (JEP 3 August) on the Visite Royale to Trinity appears to state the contrary.
Although not deemed viable for housing (the excuse often being because of the increased traffic this would cause), it seems that it is perfectly acceptable
for redundant farms to be converted into industrial estates, thus requiring access by commercial vehicles which are too large to negotiate the surrounding country lanes, and that any trees which constitute an obstruction to these vehicles can be felled willy-nilly. Obviously a question of wealth – or the creation of it – being of paramount importance, not the needs of Mr and Mrs Average.
Of course, there is also the possibility that the damage inflicted on the condemned tree was not done by commercial vehicles at all, but by speeding, oversized four-wheel-drives – so frequently ‘piloted’ by incompetent drivers – using the lanes as a rat-run. Is there any evidence to the contrary? Was the complaint made by the businesses concerned or one of the new ‘high-net-worth’ residents of Trinity? I am very surprised by the apparent silence of Trees for Life on the ongoing policy of felling any trees which happen to get in the way of the developers (or cycle-path constructors), particularly when this is done during the bird breeding season. When is this organisation going to live up to its name and intervene in the ongoing massacre of Jersey’s mature trees? Surely far too many were lost during the Occupation and the Great Storm for us to be so complacent. They, like our old buildings, are our heritage and should be preserved.;
From Gerard Farnham, chairman, Jersey Trees for Life.
THERE are rather mixed targets in this letter. Vehicles, even 4x4s on rat-runs, while annoying are rarely a great threat to trees. And as keen as we at Jersey Trees for Life are to help, we have been approached twice in the past two years by members of the public ‘whistleblowing’ about a tree or trees suspected of being harmed or destroyed in possible contravention of planning laws. We are investigating and documenting the second of these cases now.
Under the present laws ‘unless trees are protected they are simply not protected’. A tree protection order can be placed on a specific tree, which gives it immediate legal protection. All other trees are at the mercy of commercial needs, uncaring and often ill-informed developers wanting to get more built as opposed to preserving the natural environment, or simply those who cannot afford to save a tree when it is cheaper to cut it down.
Once a tree is included in a planning application its existence at least becomes formal and it has some recognition, but Planning do not have the resources to properly police and enforce the applications with regard to trees within building applications. And as there is no protection for most trees anyone can simply cut down an inconvenient tree before applying for planning permission.
Protecting our trees and woodland is the utmost priority of Jersey Trees for Life and we have an ongoing dialogue about possible changes. However, it is going to be difficult to gain popular and practical acceptance for a workable alternative – perhaps that any tree over a certain size should be protected under law.
Until then, we are happy to represent, argue for and raise awareness about any reasonable cases that are brought to our attention in defence of the Island’s trees and woodland, and we will consider any applications for help with tree care to avoid losses in cases of hardship.
