Forum Topic

trees outside morrison gone

All the remaining trees outside Morrison have been cut down.Does anybody know what is happeing?Will they be replaced?

Ireen Esmann ● 5333d21 Comments

They are supposed to be replaced under the scheme to spend Boris's money before the end of the financial year. And this time with proper irrigation!

Sara Nathan ● 5333d

Ireen, they died due to lack of water.  An oversight when they were planted!  I wonder if the Ealing Borough Arborculturalist was consulted before they were planted?  Let's hope he/she has been now before they replant the new trees.

Dee Cook ● 5333d

Those trees weren't considered to need an irrigation system.The council were pinning their hopes on the local street drinkers.

Fred Bray ● 5333d

Considering the trees came from Holland, as I do, I feel quite srongly about them!

Ireen Esmann ● 5333d

What a total waste of money, not to mention the lives of the trees. I guess it's addtional expense now as they will have to raise some of the slabs up in order to put the irrigation down.I don't understand how such a basic mistake can be made to be honest.Carl

Carl Tamboli ● 5333d

I agree Carl.In a private company that sort of sloppy mistake would cost you your job ... do we think the council person in charge will be punished or will they just spend more of our money cleaning up after their incompetence?

Sarah Harris ● 5332d

No doubt they will take up half the paving to replace the trees? Lots of overtime to be had!

Ireen Esmann ● 5331d

bump for janet

Sara Nathan ● 5323d

Glad this topic was covered on here, I nearly dropped my shopping on Sunday coming out of Morrisons to see all those butchered tree stumps!Does everyone remember when they were first planted, and for some reason the branches were left all tied up, so the lovely blossom rotted & died?  Poor unlucky trees, I do hope they are replaced, and more thoughtfully this time!

Cas Baker ● 5322d

I too could hardly believe my eye's when I saw they were all gone. I'm not even sure I think it was to do with irrigation as I do remember them with cherry blossom last year.I just hope the next thing they do, doesn't bring back the long tails.I think it was probably done to give the "Market" more room, and I haven't seen many street drinkers there in a long time as the whole of Acton is a CDZ.

John Pollastrini ● 5322d

It was poor irrigation and they are shortly to be replaced.  It was questioned at the Ward Forum Meeting whether there should be some sort of redress.Apparently the new contractor is to care for the saplings during the first important months until they are established.

Maria Pettit ● 5322d

Anything else from the ward forum?Sorry I couldnt be there - for the first time in aeons!

Sara Nathan ● 5322d

"It was questioned at the Ward Forum Meeting whether there should be some sort of redress."What was the reaction to this?  Will anyone be held accountable or will they just continue to waste our money?

Sarah Harris ● 5322d

New trees need 2 years to establish themselves, not a couple of months.  You have been fobbed off.

Dee Cook ● 5322d

"Will anyone be held accountable or will they just continue to waste our money?"Will anyone be held accountable - Errrr, NO. Ealing Council is gutless and those staff with proven, utter incompetence, will happily continue making costly mistakes in their comfortable employment.will they just continue to waste our money? Errrr, YES.See previous above.

Rosco White ● 5322d

who is running the project so knows about the trees:"I specifically negotiated a three year maintenance plan on these (not the months being quoted), work starts on Monday and will be completed by the end of March. Funding for this was outside the Outer London Fund and I worked hard to find extra funds to cover the cost of this as (like the kiosk) it was identified as a key local priority. Good to know this is being appreciated.... "So he reads the foruum. Hasnt sorted the kiosk though

Sara Nathan ● 5321d

three years maintenance........ excellent ..... I wonder what that involves?

Dee Cook ● 5321d

Nick O'Donnell has made me a happy woman! Looking forward to seeing trees back on the square! There just ain't enough of them!

Ireen Esmann ● 5321d

three years maintenance........ excellent ..... I wonder what that involves?It's in the hands of the Gods.  We need three years of rain, rain, rain.

Nicola Howard ● 5320d

Only a thought really. If East really did make a mistake in the planting of these trees, then should they not be making a contribution to their replacement? Surely we are moving towards a more accountable time where people who take the public shilling are required to give value for money, just as we expect from the private sector. If I take my non functioning telly back to Asda, they give me my money back, no argument even if I have lost the receipt. Of course, this means I buy from them without fear. Should not something of the same apply to East? Can't we get the Environment department to politely request they pay for the replacement trees? Money then available for other streets?

Maire Lowe ● 5319d

I doubt whether anyone would have the gumption to ask them why their design fell short (in many respects - not just poor tree irregation).This is the same architectural practice which, along with URS and DTZ, was asked to provide a draft development framework for Acton in 2008:http://www.east.uk.com/project/urban-design/acton-public-space-strategy/http://www.actonw3.com/default.asp?section=info&page=conatcdf.htmI have lost track of where we are with that proposal, or whether the new regime at Ealing Council has adoped another.

Clare Gittins ● 5316d