Council defies protests and wields axe over Grassmarket poplar trees

IT is a controversial move which has delayed a multi-million pound project by several weeks.

But the fate of five poplar trees in the Grassmarket has finally been sealed after the city council decided to stick to its original plan to chop them down and replace them.

Experts have found some decay in the trees, and say they could only last a few more years. But dozens of residents protested against the move, forcing city chiefs to hold two public meetings.

Their pleas were in vain, however, and work will start on Monday, replacing the trees with mature lime and oak trees imported from Germany. They hope the project will be completely finished by the first week in December.

City centre councillor Joanna Mowat, who chairs the Grassmarket Forum, said: "Obviously there'll be some people who will be very disappointed, but I think this is the sensible solution. In the long term, this is the best way of providing green cover for the Grassmarket for the next 100 years.

"The council has listened to people, and this seems to be the best option. No one knows what the lifespan of these trees is. The one thing that has come through loud and clear is that people want green cover for the Grassmarket."

Residents and traders met council officials last week to discuss four options, which included keeping some of the trees. But Dave Anderson, director of city development, said retaining one or more poplars would include "unacceptable risks" and would have high maintenance costs.

He said: "The disadvantage of this is that the paving works would remain incomplete, the risk may be unacceptable, the maintenance costs would be higher and the retained poplar may affect the growth of the new trees in the group. If the work proceeds without further delay, we will be completed in time for the 2008 festive period. At this time we will have 15 healthy, safe and sustainable trees in the Grassmarket."

He said they would be installing festive lighting in the three large London plane trees, as in previous years.

Most traders are supporting replacing the trees, and say it makes sense to carry out the work while they have the money.

Bill Cowen, who runs Costume HaHa and is a member of the Old Town Community Council, said: "I can understand that some people are very emotionally attached to the trees, but you can't please everybody all the time. At the end of the day there is a compelling argument for replacing the trees.

"The ones they have put in already look lovely. I think a lot of the opposition was based on misinformation. Poplars are not the most suitable tree for this space, as they don't like being cut back.

"This will provide green cover for the Grassmarket for about £6000 a tree, whereas it could cost £18,000 each to replace them in ten years' time."