1000 trees chopped down to make women feel safe at night

paddy147

Thats the reason/excuse that Fingal County Council have come up with to justify chopping down 1000 trees around housing estates in North County Dublin.

http://www.herald.ie/news/fury-as-1000-trees-given-council-chop-29595531.html


"Fingal County Council has insisted the trees must be destroyed because they block street lights, making women anxious as they walk at night".


^^^^^^^^^
So do you believe Fingal CCs reason......or do you think its just another way of cost cutting and not looking after/maintaining the roadsides and estates??


Does anyone here live in any of the areas affected?

If so then whats its like there now with no trees?

Thanks.:)




PS-Pic of story in tonights Herald and pic of trees chopped down.

NuckingFacker

In other news, Fingal CC now can offer bags of firewood at greatly reduced prices, first come, first served.. €4 a bag...

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

Would you believe me if I told ya there's a place in India called Cumbum???

paddy147

NuckingFacker wrote: »

In other news, Fingal CC now can offer bags of firewood at greatly reduced prices, first come, first served.. €4 a bag...

They actually chop it up and shred it for mulch for the various public parks.

Friend of ours works for the CC in the parks division and in Ardgillan Castle and its grounds

uch

Don't see how cost cutting can come into it

Sounds to me like they wanted to reduce their tree trimming budget in the future!
No trees = no trimming = money saved!

paddy147

Deleted User wrote: »

Sounds to me like they wanted to reduce their tree trimming budget in the future!
No trees = no trimming = money saved!

And in the future (with the way things are going) we will possibly have fake trees and plants like in the kids film...The Lorax.

KyussBishop

"I contacted the council and they said the tree policy had been on display for months in the council buildings.

"But people don't just walk into the buildings to look at council policy," he said.
http://www.herald.ie/news/fury-as-1000-trees-given-council-chop-29595531.html

Reminds me of HHG2G, when the local council are about to knock down Arthur Dent's house:

"But Mr Dent, the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months."

"Oh yes, well as soon as I heard I went straight round to see them, yesterday afternoon. You hadn't exactly gone out of your way to call attention to them, had you? I mean, like actually telling anybody or anything."

"But the plans were on display ..."

"On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them."

"That's the display department."

"With a flashlight."

"Ah, well the lights had probably gone."

"So had the stairs."

"But look, you found the notice didn't you?"

"Yes," said Arthur, "yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'."

allthedoyles

Its so easy for Fingal to give themselves planning permission to cut down trees .

Yet if I want to cut down a tree , I will be refused .

Fox_In_Socks

I like trees, especially those that are planted to add a bit of character to an area instead of the usual lego-land bare grey concrete wasteland that you see round some parts of cities and towns.

Rho b

They can hardly be classified as "mature" trees. From memory St. Andrews was built about 15 years ago. The trees are probably 12 years old at the most.

NuckingFacker

allthedoyles wrote: »

Its so easy for Fingal to give themselves planning permission to cut down trees .

Yet if I want to cut down a tree , I will be refused .

It's to protect their firewood business, they don't want competition. Understandable..

woodoo

This country needs much much much more trees. Trees really add character to towns and to the countryside.

NuckingFacker

NuckingFacker wrote: »

It's to protect their firewood business, they don't want competition. Understandable..

I planted about 4000 willow a couple of years ago, I'll start coppicing it next year.

Toasty!

Boombastic

The 'Forest of Fingal' 2011 -2016 Action plan doesn't mention womens safety

woodoo

Boombastic wrote: »

The 'Forest of Fingal' 2011 -2016 Action plan doesn't mention womens safety

A couple of complaints and they cut down 1000 trees. Its outrageous. I wonder for every tree that they cut down within 5 meters of street lights did they plant more trees to replace them elsewhere. Who the hell makes these decisions.

loyatemu

in the estate where I used to live several of the streetlights were literally inside trees, due to poorly thought-out planting when the estate was built. There's not much point having streetlights that don't light the streets - half the roadsigns in this country are also obscured by foliage.

I doubt we're talking about mighty oaks that have stood for hundreds of years, most of the trees in question are probably fairly small.

woodoo

loyatemu wrote: »

I doubt we're talking about mighty oaks that have stood for hundreds of years, most of the trees in question are probably fairly small.

Housing estates in this country look gloomy enough without taking away the few trees that are there.

Boombastic

woodoo wrote: »

A couple of complaints and they cut down 1000 trees. Its outrageous. I wonder for every tree that they cut down within 5 meters of street lights did they plant more trees to replace them elsewhere. Who the hell makes these decisions.

This has been going on since 2008/2009. Staff who directly and indirectly work with trees have been trained and their mission is to increase the total number of trees


Seems they haven't quite got the hang of it yet, perhaps more training in 'international best practice' is needed.

crockholm

Deleted User wrote: »

I planted about 4000 willow a couple of years ago, I'll start coppicing it next year.

Toasty!

Good on you,sir!!

Ireland badly needs to start planting more native trees (and beech too)

paddy147

"However, the council has defended the decision and said its tree strategy has been in place since 2010.
It said all trees within five metres of a street light would be removed over the next five years, based on international best practice."


"We had received a complaint on behalf of a couple of young women residents who work shift patterns and return to the estate very late at night and felt unsafe because the estate was so dark,"


So all because of a "supposed complaint" from "a few frightened women on shift work" walking along the housing estate streets at night??


What the fcuk like??:eek::rolleyes:

If thats the case,then we may aswell just chop down every tree in every residential area in Dublin.

Ah sure fcuk it......lets rid Ireland of trees alltogether.


So say goodbye to all the trees folks.

loyatemu

loyatemu wrote: »

in the estate where I used to live several of the streetlights were literally inside trees, due to poorly thought-out planting when the estate was built. There's not much point having streetlights that don't light the streets - half the roadsigns in this country are also obscured by foliage.

I doubt we're talking about mighty oaks that have stood for hundreds of years, most of the trees in question are probably fairly small.

That's the crux of the matter, badly positioned trees as opposed to existing ones being overgrown. Most planners just stick in a few trees just to "tick the 'green' box" without any thought to how they'll grow with respect to the infrastructure surrounding them.

paddy147

Deleted User wrote: »

That's the crux of the matter, badly positioned trees as opposed to existing ones being overgrown. Most planners just stick in a few trees just to "tick the 'green' box" without any thought to how they'll grow with respect to the infrastructure surrounding them.

Wait till the small-ish "chesnut trees" growing so close to the apartment blocks in Northwood (1 meter from wall) grow up to be uns...:pac:


I dont buy Fingal CCs excuse for 1 second.......me hole they cut down 1000 trees just to please a few shift work women.International Best Practice me hole.:rolleyes:

redtapestyl

Poor trees

redtapestyl

redtapestyl wrote: »

Poor trees

Don't worry, they woodn't feel a thing.

paddy147

Deleted User wrote: »

Don't worry, they woodn't feel a thing.

Ah here,leaf it out.

NuckingFacker

Deleted User wrote: »

Don't worry, they woodn't feel a thing.

They feckin wood.

NuckingFacker

NuckingFacker wrote: »

They feckin wood.

They'll get wood aright! :pac:

Has the council planted new trees in better locations as replacements? If not, it's time to elect the toilet paper toddler onto the CC.

Soft, soft, soft.

returnNull

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Would you believe me if I told ya there's a place in India called Cumbum???

is that where it first happened to you?

Strawberry Milkshake

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Has the council planted new trees in better locations as replacements? If not, it's time to elect the toilet paper toddler onto the CC.

Soft, soft, soft.

Yes http://frozendesigns.co.uk/fdv8/photos/2012/12/100_2585-Edit-ps.jpg

CrazyRabbit

They tried to do the same in my area last year, but residents got wind of it beforehand and protested enough to have it stopped.

They gave the same reason as well....trees blocking street lights. Complete rubbish.

paddy147

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

They tried to do the same in my area last year, but residents got wind of it beforehand and protested enough to have it stopped.

They gave the same reason as well....trees blocking street lights. Complete rubbish.

Fair play so.....people power.:)


Also the more trees that they just cut down,the more wildlife that disappears too.:(

Bog Standard User

paddy147 wrote: »

If so then whats its like there now with no trees?

Thanks.:)


.

smoggy no clean air to breathe.

beside everyone who is nervous about walking at night can always get a bus or taxi, or get a loved one to drive them

Wibbs

woodoo wrote: »

Who the hell makes these decisions.

Having dealt with some of them on a professional basis... well let me put it this way if I gave an accurate description and applied it to a fellow Boardsie I'd be permanently sitebanned. You genuinely would be surprised and even shocked by what passes for a thought process in many of them. Imagine Gervais' The Office on horse tranquilisers with more paperwork and pointless meetings.

In urban areas trees make such a difference. You can usually tell you've gone into an area of disadvantage as there are no trees(scumbags won't suffer a sapling to live).

Gosub

Maybe the council should examine their lighting policy. Instead of destroying the environment, they should use the trees to light the area around them. LED lighting has come a long way in recent years. Trees lit with LEDs look fantastic too.

But no, it's probably expecting too much of any council to think of a solution other than destruction.

Bog Standard User

Gosub wrote: »

Maybe the council should examine their lighting policy. Instead of destroying the environment, they should use the trees to light the area around them. LED lighting has come a long way in recent years. Trees lit with LEDs look fantastic too.

But no, it's probably expecting too much of any council to think of a solution other than destruction.

glow in the dark trees is the way forward. using gene technology perhaps they could develop a gene for trees that makes them glow in the dark... hell they did it with rabbits. http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/8/13/1376428706306/glowing-green-rabbits-001.jpg

no electricity bills (which would require more fossil fuels to be burned to power the esb generators)

tritium

Since the CC claim this is on the basis of a couple of complaints it should be easy for all the outraged boardsies here to put far more complaints in to the CC to retain them

Then ask one of the national newspapers to do an piece on it

Complete with FOI request re number of complaints for each side ( just for when they give the same excuse to the media)

Rovi

http://www.herald.ie/news/fury-as-1000-trees-given-council-chop-29595531.html

"We had received a complaint...

"a" complaint.

That's one, singular, lone, individual, unique, solitary complaint.

dxhound2005

I find it odd that a Green Party activist would not have made it his business to be aware of this issue. He complains about non consultation. What is the Council meant to do? Write to everyone in Fingal every time they want to cut the grass?

Maybe they thought that if they publicised their plan too much every tree would have it's own eco warrior chained to it when they went along with their chainsaws. Anyway there are another 39,000 trees left according to their website and they plan to plant another 1,000 to replace these ones.

Bog Standard User

dxhound2005 wrote: »

I find it odd that a Green Party activist would not have made it his business to be aware of this issue. He complains about non consultation. What is the Council meant to do? Write to everyone in Fingal every time they want to cut the grass?

Maybe they thought that if they publicised their plan too much every tree would have it's own eco warrior chained to it when they went along with their chainsaws. Anyway there are another 39,000 trees left according to their website and they plan to plant another 1,000 to replace these ones.

green party? who are they? didnt that party disband after the last election?

No Pants

They cut down one outside my house earlier thus year. I did receive a letter about it in advance and called to object, but it was cut down anyway. It was beside a light and did block some of the light, but this ceased in autumn/winter when the leaves fell.

If I was going to walk home regularly through a dark area, I'd bring a torch. Don't see where the council comes into it.

paddy147

dxhound2005 wrote: »

I find it odd that a Green Party activist would not have made it his business to be aware of this issue. He complains about non consultation. What is the Council meant to do? Write to everyone in Fingal every time they want to cut the grass?

Maybe they thought that if they publicised their plan too much every tree would have it's own eco warrior chained to it when they went along with their chainsaws. Anyway there are another 39,000 trees left according to their website and they plan to plant another 1,000 to replace these ones.

Councils tend to say and prommise things that dont ever happen.:pac:

Im sure various people here on boards can verify that where trees where cut down,1-2 years later nothing has been planted in their place.


They did it with Artane roundabout at Artane Castle...the dug the fuk out of it and concreted it in and over......it used to be so well kept with beautifull flowers and annuals.:)

One day alome came the council trucks,dug it all out and concreted it.

They could have sown/scattered some wildflower/meadow flower seeds and left nature to do its thing,but nope good auld concrete instead.:rolleyes:




They tried to do the same with the larger roundabout on the Malahide road many many years ago,and they backtracked on it,as there was uproar over them doing away with the trees and shrubs and them trying to concrete it over instead.

snubbleste

What about men's safety?

paddy147

They also tried to take down some of the trees along Portmarnock and Malahide about 4-5 years ago..and the reason given at the time was that some of the trees were blocking the view from some of the residents houses (on the far side of the road and up on a hill aswell) out over the sea.


The trees are still standing today,thank god.

paddy147

snubbleste wrote: »

What about men's safety?

I know the chap who used to maintain the roundabouts.....its a cost cutting measure and nothing more.

All the plants and shrubs for alot of the areas around St Annes Park come from the DCCs own Nursery in St Annes Park,and they decided one day to just cut back on plants,planting and manpower for maintaining the various locations.

The residents spend more time planting and maintaining the various areas these days than DCC and FCC does.

RandomName2

Glad to see the property tax is being put to good use. :pac:

Bog Standard User

RandomName2 wrote: »

Glad to see the property tax is being put to good use. :pac:

lol that money went straight into troika's arse pockets

Allyall

Fingal county council are the most useless, nepotistical, and other things (that would lead me to be accused of speculating) pieces of cr@p.

They cut down a load of trees a while ago stating they had dutch elm disease. It may have been true, they should've said it about those too.


They should make every single decision more transparent, I don't even get why they exist. More useless than the Seanad.

snubbleste

All local authorities are the same. Zero accountability and nobody gets fired even if they screw-up royally.
And your property tax is going to fund the top heavy administration and their defined benefit pensions

cowzerp

They should be planting more tree's not removing the ones we have now-Ignorance to the environment and to wildlife is all this is.