Residents Up in Arms Over Tree Removal on Brooke Road
Residents of Brooke Road in Oakham are expressing anger and concern over the recent removal of several healthy trees. This comes as part of the Brooke Road Allotments Development, a project by Burmor Construction Limited to build 40 new affordable homes.
The Rutland County Council acknowledges the residents' anxieties in a statement, but maintains that the tree removal was necessary to "improve the surrounding highway layout" for the development. They assure the public that the decision was approved by the Council's Planning Committee in August 2020, following a review by the independent Planning Inspectorate.
However, this explanation hasn't quelled the residents' discontent. Many likely worry about the immediate environmental impact of losing established trees, which provide shade, absorb rainwater, and contribute to the overall character of the neighbourhood. The promise of "more than a dozen new trees" planted on the site might be seen as inadequate compensation for the mature trees that were lost.
