Tree chopping plan postponed
CHEMICAL firm Inovyn has postponed plans to chop down a swathe of trees at the back of a Runcorn street because of coronavirus.
The tree-felling work has been due to take place in March but has been put back because coronavirus has limited contractor availability so the works are now ‘on hold’.
The proposals sparked outcry among some residents on March 12 when letters showing a map of where was to be targeted were posted to houses on Sandy Lane.
One critic of the plan slated it as ‘corporate vandalism’, but Inovyn said the map was not intended to be an accurate representation and was only meant to show the rough stretch of trees.
Some householders were furious when they received the letter, arguing the trees at the backs of their homes provide an essential green buffer between them and the energy-from-waste (EfW) plant nearby, which is operated by Viridor on behalf of Invoyn and is the UK’s biggest EfW plant, known locally as the ‘incinerator’, with capacity to burn more than one million tonnes of rubbish a year to produce energy for the Inovyn chemical works.
The letter, signed as being from Janet Ward, Invoyn UK communication manager, said the felling was in response to advice arising from a security review after a recent theft at the site.
It featured a satellite image of the woods, with a rough red outline of the proposed area of trees to be cleared, and told residents ‘a large number of trees’ on Inovyn land were to be removed.
The Weekly News used Google to measure the outlined area, which was around 130 metres in length and 18 metres wide.
Inovyn later said the stretch of trees to be cleared was smaller, at only three metres wide, and that the map in the letter was a ‘rough idea of the location of the trees’ and ‘not intended to provide dimensions’.
Opponents slated the company, alleging short notice, and accused it of placing its own security before theirs.
Some feared their view will be ruined by being able to see the EfW plant instead of trees and there will be less of a noise buffer.
There were also concerns for the area’s wildlife and scepticism about the felling being intended to boost security, saying it would be easier and more effective to replace some nearby site gates stolen several years ago and never replaced.
Inovyn told the Weekly News it is making several security changes, including replacing the gates.
One of the strongest critics of the tree-felling works was former Wigan councillor Peter Franzen, 71, whose niece lives in one of the houses and was dismayed at the plans.
Mr Franzen was astonished the letter said Halton Borough Council had been consulted.
He branded it ‘corporate vandalism’ and added he found it ‘amazing there’s been no consultation’ with the public.
He said local authorities could impose tree preservation orders if they wanted to, even on private land.
When the Weekly News visited Sandy Lane, residents’ views were mixed and some residents had strong views but were not willing to go on the record. Others were.
Julie Leigh, 50, was outraged by the plans.
She said: “I’m absolutely disgusted, I was going to ring them.
“It’s the only thing blocking my view from my back door to looking at that incinerator.”
She added: “They’re on about security for the incinerator – I’ve been burgled twice, and it’s only those trees that stop people coming in.
“They might be helping their security but they’re not helping mine.”
Bill Swan, 80, said he was concerned about the ‘hassle’ of having workers at the back, and ‘for what reason?’
Carl Hughes, 41, was not sure what to make of it, saying: “To be honest, we’ve only had a drawing to say they’re going to take the back row of trees out so I don’t know how it will affect us.”
Mark Kennedy, 55, a former worker for Invoyn’s parent company, was not worried by the plans.
He said: “It’s okay by me, they’re only poplars.
“They’re not oaks or anything, and Inovyn planted them a few years back, probably about 20 years.
“My only problem is in the summer when I’m in the back garden, when they’re in leaf and I can’t see the incinerator.”
Mr Franzen said he had never ‘come across anything like this’.
He said: “How can you chop down woods and give the residents less than a week’s notice.
“It’s unbelievable. “There’s nesting birds there.
“There’s foxes, there’s hedgehogs and it’s just incredible.”
He added: “I don’t believe they’re chopping down all those trees just because they’ve had a thief.”
An Inovyn spokeswoman said a theft of a ‘considerable amount of HV cable’ was stolen from an Inovyn stores on Barlow Way on February 15, prompting a security review.
The company’s initial statement said: “Following the recent courtesy communication to residents, Inovyn can confirm that due to a recent theft from its stores facility off Barlow Way, it is necessary to improve the security in this area. As part of this and in order to improve the visual sight of the CCTV it will be necessary to clear only a 3m wide strip (from a 30m wide expanse) on INOVYN land at the boundary edge of the stores.
“This will mainly involve the felling of younger generation trees, saplings and vegetation, which will then be chipped and the chip reinstated to the wooded area and the logs stacked into habitation piles.”
She added: “The removal of a three-metre strip of trees and vegetation on Inovyn land at the boundary of the stores is one of a number of security measures that we are implementing to improve security and this will include the replacement of the gates on Sandy Lane. The first element of the work programme will be to ensure that the work will have minimal impact on both the wildlife and local residents, we expect that the work will be completed in weeks.”
A Cheshire police spokeswoman said the company affected by the theft was on Bankes Lane.
Copper had been stripped from cable and stolen at around 4.56pm on Saturday, February 15.
Anyone with information the coming should contact Cheshire police on 101 quoting IML 638064.
Alternatively information can be given anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Halton Borough Council was contacted for comment.