Anger as trees including one planted by Belfast Lord Mayor felled in flood move

The Belfast Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme is aimed at protecting 1,500 homes and properties from tidal flooding.

Annadale Flats resident Lis McKee sits on a felled tree after a final tree clearance started on the Lockview area of Stranmillis in Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)

A tree planted for Belfast’s first female Lord Mayor on the banks of the Lagan has been felled as part of a flood alleviation scheme.

The tree, planted by Grace Bannister, is one of several that has been felled as part of the Belfast Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme to protect 1,500 homes and properties from tidal flooding.

The latest trees to be felled are in the Lockview area of Stranmillis in south Belfast.

Save Our Lagan campaigner Sue-Ann Harding holds a banner at the Lockview area of Stranmillis (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)

Local residents have criticised what they have termed as a lack of assessment of the environmental impact of the scheme.

Sue-Ann Harding said she believes the latest trees were cut down early on Monday morning due to the opposition of local residents.

“Our issue is not that those four trees had to come down, our issue is that previously a row of 90-year-old trees came down and they are chopping or at least trimming more,” she told the PA news agency.

“Our issue is that they haven’t done a full environmental impact assessment on the scheme as a whole, and those trees became a focus for the scale of destruction that can happen during the course of this infrastructure and they haven’t taken proper environmental assessment of the impact of the scheme.”

Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK which does not have its own independent Environmental Protection Agency.

The trees were felled as part of the NI’s Department of Infrastructure Belfast Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)

More than 570 people have signed an online petition calling for such an agency to be set up in the region.

Ms Harding said without an independent Environmental Protection Agency issues such as trees, habitats, biodiversity, air pollution and wildlife corridors do not have to be taken into account.

“To me that’s really worrying. This scheme is a long term scheme, it’s being put in to prevent floods that they predict will happen because of tidal surges and rising sea levels over the next few decades.

“So this is a scheme they want to last for decades because of climate change yet they’re not obliged to take into account the environmental impact of what they’re doing,” she said.

“They don’t have to do a full environmental assessment, so they don’t.

“This scheme is going to continue, there are other major trees earmarked for destruction. That’s worrying and also absurd – cutting down trees to put in a scheme to prevent floods which are being caused by climate change which is being caused by the cutting down of trees.”

Responding, the Department for Infrastructure said it has “carefully considered expert advice about alternative routes and construction methodologies for a flood wall on this stretch of the Lagan”.

“This work is necessary to facilitate the construction of this critical project which will protect the lives and properties of people who live in the Stranmillis area from tidal flooding. Failure to remove these trees would lead to another year of increased flood risk for this community,” it said.

“The department fully values the environment and seeks to nurture and develop it as part of our work.

“Areas where trees and shrubs have to be removed to facilitate the works are to be reinstated with similar species where possible, and where it is not possible to reinstate in the original location, some compensatory planting will be undertaken in suitable areas subject to the agreement of the appropriate landowners.

“A replacement tree will be planted close to this location and dedicated to the former Lord Mayor Grace Bannister.”