Over the last few months I have been campaigning with local residents for a review of the woodland tree preservation order covering part of the Wellington Park estate in St Paul’s ward. I have posted many times on this issue previously but to summarise, this TPO is considerably more restrictive than most others in Camberley and is highly unsuitable for a residential area. It is causing significant issues to residents in preventing works to trees that they own as well as trees on council owned land. Its blanket nature also means it restricts works to a number of trees which would not normally be protected.
Having presented a petition led by local residents and jumped through the MANY hoops the Council’s procedures put in the way, I had hoped to finally have a positive outcome at the Council’s Executive meeting tonight. However this belief was sadly misplaced.
The Executive received a report from a cross-party “Task and Finish” group (which I sat on but was formed of majority Liberal Democrat councillors) recommending this review be carried out within the next six months and setting out the costings associated with this. Just before voting on this cross-party recommendation, the Liberal Democrat leader of the Council tabled an amendment calling for a general review of TPOs across the borough to be considered. This is a noble intention but it also delayed the Wellington Park review, and the authorisation of its funding, until this had been further considered. You may call me a cynic but this seemed to be the main driving force for this amendment.
The Liberal Democrat executive voted in support of this amendment. I am told this will be looked at again in the Executive meeting in September but based on my experience of this Council leadership so far, I have no real reason to believe we will see progress then.
I am particularly disappointed as I have tried to work collaboratively on a cross-party basis on this issue but found myself completely blind-sided by a last minute amendment that it was evident the other members of the Liberal Democrat Executive knew was coming.
Residents in Wellington Park have waited far too long for action on this petition, which concluded in December. Sadly they have been let down tonight.
