Anger as council decides to fell city centre trees

Five trees will be removed from a city centre space after they have "outgrown" their raised planters.

The trees in Centre Promenade, Bristol, will be felled by the council at the end of January 2025 and will be replaced with smaller blossoming trees.

It comes after controversial plans to fill in the fountains were approved in September 2024 by Bristol City Council.

Councillor Andrew Brown, said: "Removing these mature trees is a last resort but it needs to be done as they should not have been planted in these shallow planters."

Jeremy Fennell, who lives in Bristol, said: "Did nobody at the time these were planted consider that Plane trees weren't ideal in such a space?

"A waste of perfectly good trees and an example of a total lack of vision by whoever planned this."

Sabrina Salter, who also lives in Bristol, said: "Those trees are a godsend when you are waiting for the bus in the summer. Provide some shade in burning hot sun.

"Also the overgrown roots look amazing! Yes, they might be damaging the structure, but find some way to fix the structure, not cut down the trees."

The decision to remove the five trees follows on from a consultation held last year, a council spokesperson said.

The London plane-type trees were planted in 2000 but the roots have grown out onto the steps with the council saying it could "pose a risk" to people.

The planters will be repaired over the next month and five smaller Judas blossoming trees will be grown.

Bristol City Council said the felled trees will be processed into woodchip and used to fuel biomass boilers in various buildings.

Three sunken fountains will also be filled in and the wooden decking removed so the whole promenade area can be covered in same surface, to create a more usable space for the harbour market and events, the council said.

The middle of promenade will be fenced off during the works until April 2025.

Mr Brown continued: "It will be great when the work is complete and we have a level surface with new seating and planting.

"The changes will make Centre Promenade more spacious, vibrant and safer for everyone."

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