Ex-judge opposes tree pruning bid

By Angie Brown
BBC Scotland news website, Edinburgh and East reporter

Lord McCluskey said the bus diversions were "badly planned"

A former judge has criticised a "badly planned" decision by Edinburgh City Council to cut back a 200-year-old tree to make way for a temporary bus route.

Lord McCluskey, who lives in Landsdowne Crescent, which is overhung by trees, said he was "sceptical" they were to be pruned for safety reasons.

Edinburgh City Council wants to prune dozens of trees along the street so buses can drive along the road.

Tram works in Haymarket will force buses to make the temporary diversion.

The trees grow in a private garden owned by residents from Grosvenor Crescent and Landsdowne Crescent.

Lord McCluskey, who has lived in the street for 25 years, told BBC Scotland news website that he was "not satisfied" with a meeting on Thursday evening with the council about the plans.

He said: "We have taken expert advice in relation to the handling of trees and have been told it is a bad time to prune trees.

Resident Kenneth Murray is up-in-arms about the tree cutting proposals Enlarge Image

"It is the worst possible time because to lop branches off trees in high summer exposes them to diseases amongst other things.

"They could make the street a one-way street instead and have parking on the houses' side to allow the buses to pass through the street.

"If they do have to be trimmed for safety reasons then it needs to be done sensitively and with due care as they have been standing for so long."

Under the plans, the trees would be cut back to five metres high from the road and Lansdowne Crescent would be turned temporarily to a one-way-street.

An Edinburgh City Council spokeswoman said: "We understand residents desire to protect their trees, our goal in pruning them was to ensure that vehicles on the public road are not impeded and also to protect the trees from substantial damage from moving vehicles."

Residents have managed to stall plans to cut back the trees until a meeting next week.