Letter to Bradford Councillors from a local resident.
Complaint: Inadequate consultation regarding public realm
improvements in Saltaire and removal of trees on Victoria Road
I am a happy and proud resident of Saltaire. I love living in a beautiful
village with a real community spirit and a strong sense of local identity. I
believe that people enjoy living in and visiting Saltaire for these very
reasons. I am originally from Burley-in-Wharfedale and fondly remember
excursions to Saltaire; the attractive environment was one of the reasons I
ended up settling here. I loved turning down Victoria Road after a long day at
work and seeing the leafy avenue of trees, the beautiful, rugged moors peeping
over the top and the lions guarding proudly - Saltaire was beautiful. Of course
it still is beautiful but what concerns me is that things have happened and are
happening that is changing this and I don’t believe it is for the good of the
UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire.
The removal of all of the street trees on Victoria Road has
had a profoundly negative impact on the special and unique character of
Saltaire. I do not believe that these changes have been made for the good of
the residents or visitors to the village, especially considering its UNESCO
World Heritage Site and Conservation Area status.
The so-called "public consultation" regarding the "public realm
improvements" was wholly inadequate. As a Saltaire resident, I neither saw
nor received any notices or notifications regarding a consultation on the 4th
and 5th of April 2014. Having since looked back at Telegraph and Argus archives
advertising the consultation, I see that it was advertised as a "drop-in
information event". This is a very misleading title for a public
consultation and gives no impression of local residents having a voice. Even if
I had seen the leaflet or newspaper article, I do not believe that I would have
understood that I was required to attend in order to vote on whether or not we
kept Victoria Road’s trees.
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Conservation Area, under the terms of
Article 13 and 36 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure)
(England) Order 2010 and the Local Authority Publicity Code of Practice, the
local authority is legally required to publicise planning applications,
allowing the public the statutory 21 days to comment.
I feel that the Council were negligent in their duties to
properly advertise the felling of the trees and consult with residents
adequately prior to a decision being taken. I never saw any planning notice
during the consultation process until articles were published about the
impending felling work in late 2014. During this time, no site notices were
displayed on Victoria Road regarding the felling or public realm improvements
and I did not receive any neighbour notification letter.
I believe that the Council were well aware of how unpopular
and emotive removing all of the trees - and replacing only eight - would be, so
they did everything within their power to keep the issue as quiet as possible
until it was too late for anyone to oppose the proposal. A proper consultation
process would have ensured that this information was widely available to both
Saltaire and Shipley residents as part of a proper public consultation process.
I strongly believe that a different outcome would have occurred if this had
taken place.
Furthermore, I do not believe that all removed trees were dying or dangerous.
The Tree Report undertaken by Barnes & Associates in 2013 that states:
"Providing that the trees identified for retention are correctly protected
from site changes and any construction works, they should continue to offer
positive benefits to the area. Overall, the risk offered by the majority of the
trees is low and well within the boundaries of tolerability that might
ordinarily be applied by a reasonable and informed landowner."
Paragraph 2.2 of the report states: "The trees on site
are a significant asset and help to both provide screening and help provide a
connection with the broader landscape but also set the tone for the area giving
it its own unique character. As with any asset such as a building or facility,
the trees require a level of investment to enable suitable levels of monitoring
and management works to be undertaken, to ensure continuity." This leads
me to believe that removing the trees has been a cost-cutting exercise thinly
disguised by the misleading title "public realm improvements", when
in fact it has been anything but.
Lastly, no rationale has been provided for the replacement
of only eight trees on Victoria Road. Why are all of the trees not being
replaced? The artist's impressions of the Victoria Road improvements shown to
those few residents who were made aware of the consultations suggest that many
more trees would be replaced.
I understand that part of the justification given for this decision is to
protect underground amenities. However there are thousands of different
varieties of smaller, easier to maintain species of trees, many of which have
shallow roots. Many towns in the Bradford District have beautiful street trees
which are well-maintained - imagine Ilkley or Skipton without them! They
contribute so much to the street scene and peoples' quality of life, adding
seasonal interest, reducing the effects of pollution, providing habitats for
local wildlife and improving biodiversity.
In conclusion, I urge the Council to reconsider its decision to only replace
eight street trees and undertake a thorough, well-publicised consultation
involving the local community to find the best solution for Saltaire.
I look forward to hearing your response.
Yours sincerely
Samantha Burnell
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