15 Trees to escape

felling in 2011

(22 March 2011) 

A Town Hall meeting on 17 March agreed to call a halt to felling while further consultation takes place. Councillors and council officers at the meeting recognised that a number of residents are concerned about the planned programme and that "further engagement with residents is required".

A statement from the meeting closed with the words:

...it has been agreed to postpone any further tree removals until after the consultation process has been concluded. [However] it has been agreed to continue with the additional tree planting that was planned as part of the current contract. The consultation process will commence in May.'

Councillor Mary Watson met with the Whalley Range Trees group to report the meeting's deliberations. She suggested that the statement effectively means there should be no further felling before December 2011. Local residents are understandably thrilled by the news. One member of the pressure group said, "This appears to cover exactly what we have been asking for – a suspension of felling to allow proper consultation and involvement; continuation of planting with input from the group; our involvement in implementing the strategy."

Cllr Watson is to report back to the council on the Group's ideas for organising the planting which is still to take place. We have suggested that there need be no reduction to the planting work in light of the halt to felling. There are very many alternative locations for additional planting aside from where the existing trees are growing. And Cllr Watson also agreed to present our hopes that the two trees heavily cut back by the commencement of felling operations should be left to recover - subject to safety assessments.

The WRT group wants to acknowledge and praise all the different contributions - large and small - public and discreet - which have undoubtedly played a part in securing this positive outcome. It's the breadth of support that has made this success possible. The support has been focused behind a clearly justified, open, inclusive and constructive campaigning position which the group has taken from the start. Now local residents can look forward to working with the Councillors and the Council in devising a new exciting phase of the plan which better meets everyone's needs.

The trees which were under immediate threat are listed below  -  click here for detail

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Did you know the council’s Whalley Range Tree Management Plan 2009/2029 includes the felling of 473 trees?

The first five years of the plan includes felling 79 trees with 19 of  them having been due to go this past winter. 

Only two of the 79 trees due to be felled in the first five years have been classified as “Diseased / Dying”, the rest are described as “Over-mature and unsuitable for location or in decline”.

For more information including copies of the Council Tree Management Plan documentation see the other pages on this site.

You can contact the Whalley Range Tree Group
wrtrees@gmail.com, 07940 926333.

Alternatively contact your local councillors directly:

Mary Watson
e-mail        cllr.m.watson@manchester.gov.uk
Phone        0161 860 5523 / 07960 514176
Address    41 College Rd, Whalley Range, Manchester, M168EJ
Drop-in Sessions:   

1st and 3rd Mondays 6:30pm to 7:30pm

Body Positive North West, 39 Russell Road, Whalley Range

Faraz Bhatti
e-mail        cllr.f.bhatti@manchester.gov.uk
Phone        0161 861 0202 / 07984 428261
Address    Town Hall, Manchester, M60 2LA
Drop-in Sessions:   
Every Thursday 6pm to 7pm,

Manley Park Community Play Centre, York Avenue, Whalley Range, Manchester, M16 OAS

John Grant
e-mail        cllr.j.grant@manchester.gov.uk
Phone        0161 274 0058 / 07507 854784
Address    179 Manley Road, Manchester, M21 OGY
Drop-in Sessions:   

1st and 3rd Saturday 10:00am to 11:00am,

Manley Park Community Play Centre, York Avenue, Whalley Range, Manchester, M16 OAS

Our aim is to ensure that all those interested in understanding more about the Council Tree Management Plan can access all the related documents.

We also want to provide an opportunity for residents to share their views on the plan.