Sustainable futures for local people – and local trees?

The future of a mature lime tree in St Leonards is under threat because it has ‘poor form’. Erica Smith meets a local resident who feels lack of consideration, connection and protection of local ecology over profit is a form of colonialism.

On 6 June this year a planning notice was tied to a post on the Dane Road side of Gensing Manor – the former language school at the junction of Charles Road and Dane Road in Gensing ward, St Leonards. When I looked for the sign yesterday, it was no longer on the lamp post.

Whilst I was looking at the building site, I spotted someone taking a photograph of the trees and we had a conversation. They sent me a photograph of the yellow planning notice.

Comments either supporting or objecting to the request to fell the tree have to be submitted by Friday 27 June. Without any planning notice visible by the site, there is no way local residents will be aware that the future of a mature tree is under threat.

If you follow through the link on the planning portal, you can make a comment either in support or objecting to the plans. There are also other documents available including an Arboricultural Report prepared by the Mayhew Consultancy. The report recommends work to reduce the crown of a mature chestnut tree by 5 metres (crown reduction has been carried out before on this tree), the removal of a mature sycamore tree in the north east corner of the site and the removal of the mature lime tree on the south east apex of the site. The report recommends that both trees are replaced.

Unlike the iconic sycamore tree at Hadrian’s Wall, there are reasonable arguments that the sycamore tree at Gensing Manor could be cut down and replaced. But the reasons to remove the lime tree are not so convincing. The report states:

“Reason for works: The tree has poor form. Its removal and replacement with a
single stemmed specimen will provide continuity of future tree cover with a species appropriate to the conservation area context of the site.”

Poor form?

Is ‘poor form’ really a good reason to fell a mature tree with a magnificent canopy? The tree has multi-stems – maybe from being cut back in the past. It matches the neighbouring horse chestnut tree in size and reach, and its multi-stem trunk probably makes the tree cope better with the wind. It would take decades for a replacement tree to become as valuable a resource as this multi-stemmed lime tree. A mature tree is a significant carbon-store, provides environmental diversity and helps cool the neighbourhood.

This particular lime tree also blocks a significant sea view from the residents who might move in to Gensing Manor when it is converted into luxury apartments.

Beau, and other local residents, think this is more likely to be the reason behind the proposal to fell the tree.

A violent act

Beau is a local young person who is a victim of the extortionate rises in the cost of housing in St Leonards. They feel that the proposed felling of the lime tree is a violent act. When I asked why, they said:

“Colonialism is alive in the shape of people who ‘discover’ and then exploit cheaper resources, such as housing, consume it on mass, and then give little to nothing back to the place they exploit. People are so happy to get a ‘cheap deal’, that they recommend their friends do the same. While they hold jobs in … London or take jobs here easily, and excuse their violent behaviour with the same violence they experienced in London (‘greedy sellers, landlords and wealthy people coming in, buying-up and driving up the prices of property in London means we can’t buy where we grew up’). So they perpetuate it here. Not thinking about how they’re now the rich and greedy and the even-less privileged here are then pushed out of their homes.

“It’s not just a lack of right relation happening with humans, but with the land, too. People perpetuate oppression by valuing ‘possessing and owning’. To own or possess is to expect you can do with it what you want. So people buy land, tear up the earth or fell trees for profit that have been there for longer than their own lives.
With this happening all over, it seems we are still very disconnected from the plight of both humans and nature. I hope it changes. I hope we stop excusing the ways we are violent and find more compassionate ways to be.

“This lime tree is one of many examples where we have lost our compassion and connection to nature and have replaced it with profit and a ‘desirable’ sea view. I hope she gets to stay rooted with her pals where she’s clearly been for many, many years.”

If you are concerned about the future of the lime tree at Gensing Manor, you can voice your objections to – or support of – the planning application here. Make sure you respond by Friday 27 June.

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