Letter on felling of tree on Station Drive, Ludlow from Andy Boddington and Tracey Huffer

Update

Councillors have rejected the felling of the tree, saying they could not justify ordering the removal of a tree while criticising others for doing the same. Initially, the camera will not be turned on until a solution is found.

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Sent to Shropshire Council and Ludlow Town Council today.

We write to object to Ludlow Town Council’s plans to fell a tree between Station Drive and Galdeford car park.

We are surprised that this matter hadn’t been raised earlier. CCTV contractors are due to begin on site less than two weeks from now.

The CCTV upgrade project has been in discussion since at least 2016 and funding has been in place for at least a year. Shropshire Council should not feel pressured into making a hasty decision because the request from Ludlow Town Council has come late in the process. Shropshire Council should make the right decision and in our view that should be to retain the tree.

This a well-proportioned tree, probably a Whitebeam. It is an attractive element of the streetscape of this area of Ludlow, which is in places rather stark. We note that Shropshire Council’s tree team has suggested a fastigiate tree might be a suitable replacement. We do not agree. Fastigiate trees rarely look good outside of formal planting and suburban gardens.

Ludlow Town Council and Shropshire Council should draw up a scheme to increase greenery in this 0.6ha plot, possibly with easy to maintain shrubbery. The photograph below shows the tree and a satellite view of the location. It should not remove the tree.

We believe that the authoritative voice that Shropshire Council and Ludlow Town Council brings when it objects to unnecessary tree removal will be undermined if this plan goes ahead. Ludlow Town Council should move the CCTV standard to a more suitable location.

While we are discussing this, we have identified the need for an extra street light. The sloping path from near the station to the middle deck of Galdeford car park is badly lit. We have received reports that people do not feel safe walking this route after dark. We should consider erecting a lighting standard at the top of the path.