SHOCK! Woodland Devastated
March 4, 2010 by wfr.editor
Filed under Top
Residents and Parish Councillors have been shocked by the devastation of the wood between Histon Football Club and the Guided Busway. The operators appeared on Saturday morning 20th February and felled at least 20 mature healthy trees, all of which were protected by a Tree Preservation Order.
Histon Parish Councillor Alan Eade said: “As tree warden for Histon, I was appalled to learn of the deliberate and unlawful destruction of the copse to the southeast of the Histon football ground. The presence of such areas of trees and bushes of varying ages and species is vital for the limitation of vistas, the preservation of the essentially rural aspect of our villages, and the prevention of the spread of nondescript suburbia. It constitutes an act of corporate vandalism and encourages the wilful disregard of long standing regulations to protect trees in our environment.” The trees in question were protected and required parish council notification and district council assent before any work is to be undertaken. This makes their destruction, without prior permission, a breach of the Town and Country Planning Act.
When felling commenced on the Saturday morning, the workmen and the gang leader were informed that the trees were protected and they were asked to check whether the necessary permissions had been obtained before proceeding. Despite this, felling continued until there wasn’t a single tree left standing. The devastated area is immediately adjacent to and exactly in line with the southern edge of Histon football club leading to speculation by some that the club had ordered the clearing operation.
One resident said, “The trees were part of a necessary wind barrier across the recreation area in the direction of the prevailing wind and this has now been lost. Also visually the trees made a complete line shielding the Holiday Inn from the Rec.” A further potentially dangerous situation now exists since people will now be able to stand on the B1049 bridge and watch the football matches, causing a potentially serious road hazard.
This mature wooded area not only provided an excellent wind, sound and visual barrier, but it also provided a wonderful haven for wildlife. Although it was quite narrow it had created a vital corridor between two established wooded areas, linking The Copse to the west with the Chivers Wood (alongside the Elizabeth Woodcock Memorial field) to the east. An enviro.volunteer commented “We’ve spent a lot of time improving the condition of other local wooded areas, so it’s a very sad thing to see the destruction of such a large number of healthy mature trees. It’s quite ironic that this should happen the very week that we and so many other residents turned out to help plant up the new Centenary Wood on the other side of the village. Contractors who have recently been planting up alongside the Guided Busway are also somewhat concerned by this unexpected extra loss of habitat along this section.”
The HI Courier contacted Histon Football Club and received this response from club Secretary Julie Roach dated 27 February: “We employed a local firm to clear some shrubbery and some dead trees in an area surrounding the club. However this did go beyond our expectations of what was anticipated.”
Work still being carried out on 2 March
This is not the first time HFC have been criticised for their actions regarding the environment. Previously villagers were shocked by their actions during the installation of HFC’s new footpath. On that occasion mature trees were cleared from the roadside embankment, losing an important feature and exposing The Rec. to road noise and wind disturbance.
The HI Courier obtained a copy of the certified map showing all of the protected trees and zones surrounding the football club and The Rec area. The green areas shown are all under tree protection orders. The section shown in red indicates the wooded area destroyed, without permission, by contractors acting on behalf of HFC. At least 20 and perhaps up to 50 healthy protected trees have been removed.
Having been alerted to these actions, South Cambs District Council sent an officer to the scene on Tuesday morning. Shortly thereafter they issued this statement: “South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) is currently investigating unauthorised work to cut down a number of protected trees at the rear of Histon Football Club. This is an offence that SCDC takes very seriously and can result in a criminal prosecution and a fine of up to £20,000.” We understand the matter is receiving very serious consideration by the South Cambs legal department, but we cannot confirm this directly.
According to the South Cambs District Council website “anyone seeking permission to do anything to a protected tree must do so by written application. On receipt of the application form there is an eight-week consultation process. South Cambridgeshire District Council then makes a site visit to assess the works being requested and either gives consent, refuses consent or gives conditional consent.”
For all the latest developments and to leave your comments, please go to our website www.HIcourier.co.uk or post them to Histon Impington Courier Ltd, PO Box 1161, Histon, Cambridge CB24 9XB
SHOCKED! And so we should be looking at what Histon FC, under the dictatorship of T Roach have done to the protected woodland. Who gives him the right to bulldoze into a club and relinquish some quality players due to financial constrictions, and then hire contractors to bulldoze an entire protected area behind Histon FC, that does not even belong to him? The area has well and truely been flattened, although some small shrubs have been planted along the guided busway fencing as a token gesture to the environment. Judging by what Mr Roach has done to Histon FC and constantly lied to the fans, you cannot but wonder what underlying plans he has for the once protected area, perhaps an extended car park may be on the agenda. But, whatever his reasons, you can be sure that there is some underlying motive for his treachery to Histon.
The destruction of healthy mature trees is a tragedy. The company that did this could not have been reputable as a reputable tree surgeon would know better than to do this without having received the necessary approval from the conservation authorities.
I just couldn’t believe the devastation I saw when I went past just after the destruction. It was completely unnecessary.
It is awful that this has happened and whoever is responsible should at the very least be made to pay for replacement saplings and cover all costs of restoring this area as much as possible.
It’s an outrage. There can be no justification for such wanton vandalism. For destroying the environment in such a cavalier fashion warrants more than a paltry £20k penalty, – at least that per tree would be approaching some kind of justice.
I was considering corporate sponsorship of the club in the coming year, but will not now even bother following the team.
Is the value of a previously cherished local team now becoming outweighed by its unfriendly impact?
Yours in disgust.
Its heartbreaking, as a Histon FC supporter, to see the club behaving so irresponsibly. I shall not be renewing my season ticket next season.
“We employed a local firm to clear some shrubbery and some dead trees in an area surrounding the club. However this did go beyond our expectations of what was anticipated.”
Obviously this lawless act shows that those responsible have no respect for Histon, it’s history or environment. They seem to be out to alienate the club’s supporters and residents of the local area. We are then presented with an embarrassing excuse of the workmen going too far. The job was clearly planned before hand with the intention of clearing the area for the construction of a new 5 a side pitch.
Is this the correct way to promote and bring supporters to the club?
Between the club and the guided bus way… Well they’re two noble causes that squeezed hundred year old woodland out of existence.
It began when they ripped down half the wood for the guided bus, and when my kids saw the latest destruction in the paper, (they are both Histon Hornets) even they were ashamed for the club.
We like many others used to walk through the woodland, over and down the old railway line down to the lake. Now there’s just a £130 million pound stretch of unused fractured concrete and a mound of mud and wood chips.
Thanks for nothing. Never going back to the club and have a right mind to plough up their precious football field.
I urge S Cambs to prosecute the football club for this act of wanton vandalism.
I am sure you are aware of the removal by, Histon Football Club, of the trees to the South side of the football ground. These trees were supposed to be protected by a tree preservation order. This was a cynical breach of a TPO as it was carried out, I believe, purely and simply to improve the club’s pitch by removing the winter shadow cast by this bank of mature trees. The club have had problems with their pitch for many years and friends of mine who are close to the club have informed me that in spite of improving drainage a couple of years ago the pitch still takes a long time to dry out in the winter months. It does not take a genius to put two and two together to understand the true motive for the removal of these trees.
As a Histon supporter I was particularly disappointed by the action taken by the club. I cycle to work over the old railway bridge and have seen Muntjac deer among the trees, now removed, on three separate occasions over the past ten years. The deer and other wildlife have now lost their corridor between woodland on the east and west sides of the village.
This is a divisive issue for the villages of Histon and Impington and has damaged community cohesion. Many of the fans of the club are now faced with the anger of the Histon and Impington residents over this act of vandalism by the club. My strong feeling is that, in the interests of reconciliation and an attempt to assuage the ill feeling felt by local residents, the club should receive the maximum punishment for this offence so that local residents are not left with a feeling that the football club has ‘got away with it’. In addition to this the trees must be replaced at the earliest opportunity to limit the impact on the wildlife that depends on this natural corridor.
Some, with a vested interest in Histon FC, have attempted to portray the debate sparked by destruction of trees by the club as football versus local community. This is not the case. I like many other Histon FC fans am extremely angry. I am a football man. I played football for my home town team in my youth. My son is a promising footballer who may play for Histon himself one day. The inconvenient truth for Histon FC is that they have acted illegally. The single line of trees they have planted, right up against the boundary with the busway, does nothing to reinstate the wildlife corridor and is intended to leave the area, now cleared to bare earth, for the construction of a training pitch. The children of the village do not want their football at any price and certainly not as a result of an impoverished local amenity. The club should now do the right and proper thing which is to replace the trees with a planting scheme that completely reinstates the wildlife corridor and the sound and wind barrier that used to protect the Recreation ground. This done, the club and local community will be reconciled and community cohesion will be the stronger.
I agree fully with what ‘Hastklass’ has proposed. Would certainly be nice if such an option would even be considered by Histon FC.
I too have been a long term follower of the team, up until recently. Anyway, what interested me is why Histon FC deem it necessary to demolish a woodland corridor, with a plan to build a training pitch? i just do not see the logic there at all.
We all know how badly Histon FC pitch has suffered over the years with drainage issues, now they have removed the ‘natural’ drainage from the area im sure that any training pitch would certainly be unplayable 80% of the year. And what is wrong with the team using the facilities on the recreation ground that they have used for all these years? I dont think Mr Roach has really thought this through, along with many other of his recent decisions/deceptions.
Club chairman Tony Roach said: “There were some trees that were rotting and diseased that needed cutting down and we asked them to do this – and to clear the rubbish dumped there. But they went a bit over the top and cut down about 10-15 trees that they weren’t supposed to. We had an address for them but when we tried to contact them there was no-one there. They are travellers and must have moved on. They have disappeared. We know we have done wrong and we just hope the council don’t come down too hard on us. We have already planted 20 to 30 trees there and cleared the rubbish – that cost a fortune and we are waiting for that bill.”
The sheer arrogance of the man is breath-taking. I for one hope the council finds the means to put the club out of business over this. I’m not sure I would even feel that is an eye for eye.
QUOTE/ “We have already planted 20 to 30 trees there and cleared the rubbish – that cost a fortune and we are waiting for that bill.”
Well Mr Roach, it was none of your business in the first place, so you should have left it alone and saved the money!
Ive seen the ‘trees’ they have planted alongside the fence/guided busway. They can hardly classed as trees, more like shrubs, but if they are trees then they have been planted far too close together. No doubt he will need to find some more travellers to ‘thin’ them out in a few years.
The comment from Mr Roach: “They are travellers and must have moved on” is a feeble attempt at blame shifting. Travellers are not to blame for any of this. Mr Roach should stop blaming others for his own actions. You’ve lost community support and now you’ve lost your traveller friends. What’s next, Mr Roach?