Brucehill Cliffs: Landowner tells council tree felling was 'grave' mistake

But plans to construct new homes on the site remain set to go ahead after a meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council's (WDC) planning committee last week.

Planning permission for 81 new homes at the site was approved by the council’s planning committee on March 30 and at the beginning of April, 33 trees on the land at the former Notre Dame Convent were wrongly felled in preparation for construction to begin.

This is despite a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) being implemented by WDC on March 2 that limited the number of trees to be removed to just one tree.

And, addressing the planning committee, a spokesperson for landowners Slate Island Developments apologised for the felling.

Landowners told the councils planning committee the felling was done due to an administrative error

They said: “Firstly and most importantly we want to convey our regret at the circumstance that we find ourselves in relation to the mistaken tree felling, that is wholly regrettable.

“Throughout the planning submission, there were various iterations of the proposal and this was prior to the TPO being formalised, and as such, unfortunately, one of the superseded plans was issued to the contractor, which resulted in the incorrect trees being marked for removal.

“In addition, even though it is a regrettable incident. There was no commercial benefit at all in terms of the removal, and it actually caused further delay to our delivery partners, Miller Homes, who are looking to take the site forward.

“Hopefully, this demonstrates that this was a genuine mistake, very much an administrative one.”

Councillor Karen Conaghan asked why the felling continued without appeals for the fellers to stop

Councillor Danny Lennie said: “I’m really quite bemused the fact that it is possible to cut down over 30 trees that you are not supposed to.

“I’m assuming the people you have to fell the trees professionally are actually professionals.

“I understand how you feel, that you feel it is regrettable that this happened and that’s all very well and good, but it doesn’t give an explanation as to why professional tree fellers can be sent out to cut down one tree and cut down 33.”

SNP group leader Councillor Karen Conaghan questioned why the fellers didn’t stop when asked.

Read more: Brucehill Cliffs tree order approved to protect woods near site for new homes

She said: “From the interactions on the site when those trees were being cut down, I know that a former councillor and some others were there asking that they stop what they were doing.

“They continued on with it and did the next day and there is video evidence of that.

“What I want to ask is, the group that’s engaged in terms of the survey and the proposed replanting, are they the same as the group that went in and took out trees that were clearly marked with tags and clearly covered by a TPO.

“How competent are the people who you are engaged to do this given what has happened here?

The contractor to conduct the felling used will not be retained going forward

“The statement within the planning report says that the felling of the trees has caused real disappointment and upset.

“Now I get that our planning officers have been quite measured in what they have said here but that is a massive understatement.

“This has caused significant anger, resentment and real suspicion.”

In response, Slate Island told the committee that they would not be using that contractor going forward and they would be seeking an alternative one.

New proposals lodged to the council’s planning committee include the planting of 75 trees in the TPO area of felled trees and 25 more closer to the entrance of the site.

The matter has been lodged to the procurator fiscal and could be subject to prosecution under both the Town and Country Planning Act and The Forestry and Inland Management Act.

Read more: Dumbarton boy, 11, joins Brucehill campaigners to hit out at disgusting tree ‘vandalism’