City council launches independent review into tree felling controversy
Plymouth City Council has announced an independent review into the handling of its controversial redevelopment project that involved the felling of more than a hundred trees in a city street.
The local authority's new Labour leader, Cllr Tudor Evans, said the review is intended to look in detail at the decision-making progress, "both in terms of legality and good governance".
The dispute centres around a regeneration plan by the Conservative council that involved felling trees on the city's Armada Way.
A late-night operation saw the council cut down more than a hundred trees on 14 March, but works were stopped short by a last-minute injunction secured by local campaign group Save the Trees of Armada Way (STRAW). Then leader Richard Bingley resigned when he faced a vote of no confidence,
At a Cabinet meeting on Monday (10 July), Cllr Evans also said the review would examine how well the council engaged with stakeholders throughout the process and the extent to which feedback was incorporated into the plans.
It will also examine the impact of the project on the local environment and set out the financial implications of what has happened, including the costs to the council.
Plymouth is set to defend its decision against local campaign group STRAW in an upcoming judicial review hearing.
Mrs Justice Lang dismissed the application as "misconceived" and ordered the council to pay the claimant's costs of the application regardless of the outcome of the litigation.
Commenting on the review, Cllr Evans said: "Whilst it was not my administration that was responsible for the taking the decision to fell the trees on Armada Way, it has been my number one priority since taking control of the council to overturn the March decision, clean-up the mess, rebuild our reputation and move forward with a positive plan that will bring life back into the city centre.
"Our new Corporate Plan sets out our ambition to take responsibility for our decisions and the impact of our actions. Therefore, we need to understand what happened and learn from any lessons.
"Whilst the detail is still being worked up, the review will be thorough, independent and the findings will be shared publicly."
The council plans to consult on a new scheme and finish the Armada Way clean-up before proceeding with the review. The review will take place before the end of the year and will be presented to full council for consideration when it is completed.
Adam Carey
