On March7th 2011 a brave local resident faced and blocked the Manchester City Councils chainsaw contractors. While elsewhere another resident challenged why another half grown apparently healthy tree was being cut down. The tree had its crown removed and another tree with no obvious sign of decay lost several branches before contractors called in David Davidson the councils green space manager.
A face-to-face stand off with the resident followed and the resident reported climbing on a second contractor’s truck to prevent further cutting. I don't usually do this sort of thing the resident said, but hearing the chainsaw I had to do something. A subsequent phone call to the MP Sir Gerald Kaufman generated a call to the council to halt work and send the contractors and there trucks home. Sir Gerald's office will be investigating the issue.
Both residents are part of the Whalley Range Tree Group a large group of concerned residents, that has been petitioning and dialoguing with the council for months to get a mutually agreed plan with council. They see the action as highly out of line with a democratic process that is still in process to find an agreeable way forward.
The concerned local residents do not feel the council is listening to their specific concerns for more detailed scientific proof to warrant cutting of the individual trees targeted by the council which create a special natural environment in their local community of Manchester. "I don't understand what all the rush is about to cut these trees" said another local resident who lived next to the tree that survived Mondays incidents.
The last 2 mins summarises the Whalley Range Tree Group request- who they are, their concerns and their request to the Manchester City Council to respectively agree a mutually accepted plan to their concerns about the Council cutting actions and plan to cut 473 local street trees in their local Whalley Range community of Manchester.
film length 18 mins2 short films by Mark Minard: Residents Take Action Against Cutting of Local Trees.
