Replace our lost trees

RESIDENTS are up-in-arms after being informed by Moray Council’s flood team that trees which were removed, and previously formed a barrier between their houses and ongoing flood works adjacent to the new section of the A96, will not be replaced.

A temporary fence was erected to shield Califer Road from the effects of the industrial work that started last autumn, scheduled to finish in early 2015, but residents want a shelter belt of trees re-instated.

"We were originally told that the trees behind numbers 120-126 would be replaced once the work is finished," said Susan Randall of 122 Califer Road. "Our neighbour was informed when it began that the back row would be re-instated with fast growing saplings but I was told by the flood scheme team at their recent information day that they would not be re-planting."

Her neighbour, Andy Graham of 124 Califer Road, was disappointed to hear the news. "The trees used to block the noise," he said. "You wouldn’t realise that you were living right next to the A96. Once the temporary fence has gone we’ll be left with no real privacy because the new road is two metres higher than the old one."

A Moray Council spokesperson pointed out that the land where the trees were between Califer Road and the A96 is not council-owned, it belongs to Springfield Properties.

"We are sorry that some residents of Califer Road are unhappy over the loss of some trees on land next to the A96," he said. "This is private land not in the control of the council. It was clearly indicated on all of the plans submitted for the flood alleviation scheme that the trees would be lost and not replaced. These plans were shown at public exhibitions and available on the council’s website. At no time was it planned to replace the trees removed from this section along the A96, and at no time were objections or comments made to the contrary by residents. Other areas of the scheme will have extensive landscaping and tree planting."

However, a spokesperson from Springfield Properties said that responsibility for replacing the trees between Califer Road and the A96 lies with Moray Council.

"We allowed Moray Council the use of our land for construction of the flood alleviation scheme on the understanding that they would reinstate it to it’s original condition," he added.

"This is always our rational. In this case, if trees have been cut down they should be replaced by the team that removed them."

Read the full story in this week’s ‘Gazette’.