Donegal County Council has defended the plan to cut down an oak tree in Ballyraine Park, Letterkenny, stating that the decision was not taken lightly.
A lengthy discussion on the issue at an MD meeting in the town this afternoon led officials to promise a review of alternatives.
They will also meet with residents to discuss their concerns and hire a tree surgeon to assess the tree.
A commitment was given that no action would be taken on the tree before these meetings take place.
However, officials stressed that this decision is linked to a wider road project, not just a cycle lane.
In response to questions from Councillor Donal Coyle, officials said the works immediately adjacent to the oak tree at Ballyraine Park involve the provision of a segregated cycle lane and footpath, an additional traffic lane for the new signalised junction at the Creamery roundabout, and improved definition and safety of the access to Ballyraine Park.
As part of the design process, Donegal County Council (DCC) says they examined all options with regard to the tree but concluded that the required safe and effective infrastructure cannot be provided without a significant impact on its root structure.
They said this would involve removing some of the major elements required to improve traffic flow at the Creamery junction for thousands of road users, and a significant reduction in quality for other elements.
Councillor Coyle asked if every effort was made to consult with the local community and called for creative thinking to come up with a solution.
The cutting down of a number of other trees late last night was condemned by all councillors, with Councillor Ciaran Brogan saying it sent a terrible message and was not done in his name.
Meanwhile, officials stated that the cutting down of other trees last night was not intended to be a secretive move but was done at that time to minimise traffic disruption and maximise safety.
Full response:
Question regarding Oak Tree in Ballyraine:
The N56 Letterkenny Urban Active Travel project is a vital project delivering improved safety, function, capacity and active travel facilities on the N56 through Letterkenny. The planned works between the Polestar and Creamery roundabouts include the provision of segregated pedestrian and cycling facilities as well as providing new signalised junctions at both the Ballyraine and Creamery roundabouts. This will not only provide essential improvements to the safety of vulnerable road users, it will also help address the major congestion issues in the area by improving the flow of traffic through two major junctions on the N56.
The works immediately adjacent to the oak tree at Ballyraine park involve provision of a segregated cycle lane and footpath, provision of an additional traffic lane for the new signalised
junction at the Creamery roundabout and improved definition and safety of the access to Ballyraine park.
As part of the design process, DCC have considered all alternative options in this area with regard to retention of the oak tree. However, the required safe and effective infrastructure described above cannot be provided without major impact to the root structure of the oak tree. As a result, it is not possible to retain the tree and it must be removed. Any option involving the retention of the tree will significantly reduce the effective function of both the new junction and the safety and function of the pedestrian and cycle facilities. It would involve removing some of the major elements required to improve traffic flow at the Creamery junction for thousands of road users, and significant reduction of quality for other elements. As such the current course of action was not taken lightly. A significant number of measures were included to mitigate the impact of the trees removal. To identify the most suitable measures, DCC have undertaken extensive consultation with all stakeholders involved with this project and
continue to do so.
It has been agreed that care will be taken during removal of the tree to retain the majority of the trunk sections to allow for alternative uses of the trunk and truck sections after removal. DCC will liaise with the local community in the area to agree the most suitable use of these as well as any other possible initiatives to preserve or continue its memory. For example, there is the potential to work together with the local school and men’s shed for the creation of public benches, planters etc. DCC also intend to harvest the acorns from this tree prior to removal and replant a number of them in the local area. These acorns will also be offered to local residents who may wish to plant them themselves.
In addition to the above, there is a significant amount of landscaping and planting being provided ats part of the scheme, with a particular focus on providing a net gain with regards to biodiversity impact. The project when complete will involve significant landscaping works which will include semi-mature trees, shrubs, bulbs, wildflower meadow areas, hedging, raised planters and park benches.
In summary the following planting is planned for delivery within the project.
