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| Lancaster Market Square. Photo: John Freeman |
After a determined campaign by local people opposed to their removal, we’re pleased to report the proposal to chop down Lancaster Market Square’s lime trees has been deferred until the next Full Council meeting.
The Council’s Cabinet was to have decided the trees fate at a meeting at Morecambe Town Hall last night, but campaigners gathered more than enough signatures on a physical petition, backing up opposition voiced in an online version, to force a Full Council debate.
The Council is proposing to remove the mature lime trees from Market Square citing additional cleaning costs and other issues, arguing in part that secretions caused by aphids make paving slippery.
Campaigners, many furious at a lack of public consultation, have countered that the chosen paving itself is more at fault and offered a number of suggestions that could help solve problems without losing the much-loved trees.
The City Council has confirmed the petition has triggered a Council debate which will take place at the next Council meeting.
A spokesperson says the actual decision on the trees is for Cabinet, but Council, in debating the petition, may decide to make recommendations to Cabinet to inform its decision.
• The next Full Council is on Wednesday 3rd February 2016 at 6.00pm at Morecambe Town Hall. The full agenda has not yet been posted
• You can sign an online petition here on change.org
Do You Think Cutting Down Market Square’s trees is a Bad Idea?
• Lobby your own City councillor
• Lobby Lancaster’s MP Cat Smith: 01524 566 551 or 01253 490 440 email: cat@catsmith.co.uk | Twitter @CatSmithMP
• Want to get a quick response from Lancaster City Council? Tweet and include the twitter handle: @LancasterCC hashtag #savelancasterlimes
• The Council’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lancastercc; there is already a discussion thread about the proposal on their Facebook page here
• There is a Facebook group for the discussion about the trees here
• Complain to the council officer recommending and responsible for their removal direct, Mark Davies, Lancaster City Council’s chief officer for the environment. Call him on 01524 582000 – ask for him specifically