The other day I was sent an email from Ola Barreto-Morley, the email touched my heart and I am sharing it with you now to give you the opportunity to help save these trees.
This also highlights the problem with the planning system, with regards mature trees and their thoughtless destruction for development.
Our Urban Forests MUST have recognition and the protection they deserve.
Ola included this recording of the birds that live in the trees, destined to be destroyed unless we help her protect them. I urge you to listen as you read the rest of this article:
Sounds of Our Forests
Here is Ola’s message to us all:
Our trees – our future and the birds within!
The trees in the property behind
Beautiful the sounds of the birds within
For all to hear, even the blind
Just listen and spellbound you will be.
Trees their colour, wind whispers and shade
All these we get for free, not a penny we give
And yet harsh can we be with our greed.
The bird song will be no more.
At the thought of reward and houses for cash
The trees are soon forgotten and crushed
With our haste to gain we will be most harsh
Save our trees and stop the building rush
It won’t be long when the trees will be gone
Replaced with houses of stone, tiles and slate
And sounds none will appreciate when all is done.
Oh please don’t wait till it is too late.
The trees are ours to protect
They add to the beauty that we see
The colour, the sounds and the life that we have
Is someway entangled in all trees we see
Its time to react and save the trees
Not just for me to hear and see
But all to enjoy and from time to be
Oh please don’t wait, save these trees!
Please help me save these trees and the birds within!
This is Ola’s original email to me:
Dear Hen
I attach the sounds of the trees in the property close to my house. This is the wonderful music I get each morning, courtsey of the birds. At present a developer is applying for permission to build on this property and will remove most of the trees, thereby destroying the natural habitats we strive to preserve.
I am hopeful that you will appreciate these sounds and would take some time to write to the council to object to the planning permission on the grounds of saving our trees/woodlands and forests.
Here is the full details of the planning application that will destroy these beautiful, mature trees:
http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/pam/view.jsp?ID=11%2F00682%2FFULL
planning.maidenhead@rbwm.gov.uk
Planning permission number: 11/00682/full SLE
A decision will be made on 20th July 2011.
You can download this letter that Ola has created to make it easy for you to object:
Conservation of our landscape and natural habitats
THANK YOU
We live near Wokingham and suffer the same problems of over development . Diminishing the trees etc extra roads, tiny houses in even smaller gardens. We moved here 10 years ago because of the lovely sylvan setting around us, but are frequently having to object to felling of trees for more and more houses, substantially caused by uncontrolled immigration from eastern Europe. We have noticed a serious decline in song birds’ and are now seldom woken by the “dawn chorus,” the quintessential feature of our green and pleasant land.
Yes this is sad. felling trees to make more homes in already crowded areas.
Some of these trees may already be protected and the local parish council should look to see that felling the trees would be lawful. Can someone please write to the local parish council and object to the felling of the trees on a formal basis. Are these trees already on green belt area?
It would also set a precedent so close to the Ascot race course that development can continue, unabated, to increase the density of the area.
The Acsot road is already a dangerous to turn into and this would further increase the number of cars trying to turn into and off the main road. The council should look to ensure that homes already built are sufficiently taken up before any more planning permission can be given.
The development is not in keeping with the area!