Trees facing the chop to make way for tram line

TRANSPORT chiefs have come under fire for plans to chop down 28 mature trees in the city centre to make way for the tram line.

Tram firm TIE will cut down the avenue of trees along Shandwick Place – adjacent to Coates and Atholl Crescents – in order to widen the road to accommodate new bus and tram lanes.

Tram chiefs said they have not decided if the trees on Shandwick Place will be replaced, but added that the city-wide policy is to plant two trees for every one felled.

There is no guarantee, however, they will be put back in the same location.

Residents and community groups today hit out at the removal of the trees.

Gordon Wyllie, the chairman of West End Community Council, said: "One of the joys of Edinburgh is that our trees and greenery extends right into the city centre and it is something we should be looking to preserve. This doesn't leave you much confidence that TIE are going about this project in a sensitive manner."

The gardens at Coates and Atholl Crescents are among a number of public spaces which council chiefs have identified for £12.5m of improvements to spruce up key areas around tram lines.

Mike Campbell, 49, a property developer who lives on Atholl Crescent, said: "These are perfectly healthy trees which have been there for generations but they plan to just wipe them out.

"Given they are keeping the path on the side of trees I don't see why they can't just prune them – we have still to get an explanation as to why this is happening."

Another tree under threat from the trams lies in the gardens between Lansdowne Crescent and Grosvenor Crescent.

The Chestnut tree, which is more than 100 years old, is being trimmed in order to allow buses down the residential streets as part of diversions for tram works around Haymarket.

A TIE spokesman said: "The design of the Shandwick Place tram alignment has been in the public domain for a number of years. As part of the final design for this area, the pavements will need re-aligned to allow space for trams and buses. This will mean the removal of a number of trees.

"The Edinburgh Tram Project Code of Construction Practice outlines the project's commitment to the replacement of trees in the ratio of at least two to one as close as possible to the original location."

The trees along Shandwick Place, a mixture of oak, lime and maple, were planted in 1996.

• Edinburgh City Council website