Lewes Poplars Saved By Local Pressure Groups

Residents, Councillors and local pressure groups are celebrating East Sussex County Council‘s decision not to fell the poplars along Blakes Walk in Lewes.

In November, ESCC announced plans to fell all of the poplar trees along both sides of the path. However, on January 4, the Council announced a new ‘management plan’ for the trees, by maintaining the height and canopy of both the poplars and the lime trees along the path for as long as the trees remain healthy.

The revised plan was developed by ESCC in partnership with the Friends of Lewes Trees Committee and other local arborists as part of a newly formed ‘Blakes Walk Tree Specialist Group’.  

The group agreed that to maintain the trees in the best possible way, the trees on the east side of Blakes Walk (adjacent to the new housing) should be pruned this February.  The same work will be undertaken on trees to the west side next winter.

Green Party Town, District and County Councillors who had objected to the planned felling, welcomed the news.

Councillor Wendy Maples said:

“Huge thanks to Friends of Lewes, local tree specialists, and others for getting ESCC to agree to pruning rather than felling, and to a sensible, ongoing plan! Hoorah!”

Councillor Adrian Ross said:

“This is a great result for residents and nature alike, that will preserve this beautiful and much-loved avenue.

“Many thanks to ESCC officers for reacting promptly to our concerns, and for working with local experts to develop a pragmatic and sensible plan for the future.  And special thanks, as always, to the hard-working Friends of Lewes Trees Committee for their expertise and sensible advice.”

“However, we will remain vigilant and will review details of the planned pruning works to ensure that they are necessary and sensitive.”

ESCC originally said that the work was necessary because the trees are “impacting on the Lime trees they were grown to protect and to the footway which is becoming hazardous due to the Poplar roots growing underneath it”.

The proposals met a fierce response from residents and local organisations including the Friends of Lewes, and Councillors. They feared that ESCC were bowing to pressure to remove the trees to enhance views from the newly-built Southdowns Park adjacent, despite previous assurances that the trees would not be affected by the construction.

The Friends of Lewes Trees Committee visited the site and concluded that there was “no silvicultural, arboricultural or landscape reason for any trees to be removed”.  They also noted that the poplars 'provide a green corridor which supports biodiversity; contribute to carbon sequestration; offer shade and a windbreak; and were planted as a memorial and to mark a historically important thoroughfare'.

Friends of Lewes wrote to ESCC to share their concerns and to suggest working with ESCC to revise the tree management plan to bring it in line with current climate and biodiversity concerns and make sure that no healthy trees are removed prematurely.  

Green Party Town, District and County Councillors also objected to the planned felling, following a site visit and approaches by concerned residents. 

In their letter they said that they could “see no reason for the removal of these trees” and observed that any damage to the path “is slight and [...] could be remedied in a less drastic manner”.

The Councillors asked for ESCC “to put a hold on these works while alternative solutions are investigated and residents and councillors are consulted fully on the proposals.”

Local resident Fraser Addecott also started an online petition, which attracted over 1000 signatures in just 3 days.  The petition stated that “the removal of these majestic trees will substantially alter the character of this very well used and highly popular walking and cycling avenue between Malling and Lewes town centre”.

At the time, Mr Addecott said:

"This beautiful avenue of trees is a much-loved and very well used feature of the town.  To even consider removing these mature and thriving trees flies against everything we know about the multiple benefits they bring to residents, visitors, wildlife and our wider environment.”