Save Alexandra Park Campaign event Saturday 9th February

Several Green Party members were amongst the approximately 100 supporters that were at the Save Alexander Park Trees campaign event on Saturday 9^th February.

The speakers, covered by the press included MP Gerald Kaufman and Marc Hudson. Hudson, co-editor of the Manchester Climate Monthly website and paper urged the campaign to keep focus.

Several supporters talked about their activities in the week. Carl, a local wood and stone sculptor talked about his conversation with Westfield, the contractors felling the trees. Apparently the timber and chipping were already sold before the felling began.

Perhaps this is another reason the Council is  not prepared to speak to campaigners. Its not a good reason. In the meantime the campaign’s online petition has reached over 3800.

Check out the campaign’s website for latest news.

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Comment: A Passing Thought for the Manchester Peace Gardens

When a friend of mine said that there was only one tree left in the Manchester Peace Gardens, I was wondering what he was talking about. But I thought I would go and see myself.

He was wrong of course. There are no trees left at the Peace Gardens. I was taken aback and from the expressions of the passers-by, so was everyone else. I took some pictures.

Manchester was quite rightly renown as the first city to declare itself ‘nuclear-free’. The Peace Gardens were created as part of the celebration of that action and had been an attraction to the city as part of the Peace and Social Justice Trail and part of the world-wide network of Peace Gardens.

That has gone now.

(Apologies for the lens smudge.)

It’s a particularly sensitive time in the city regarding its environment, with Manchester City Council’s plans to fell large numbers of trees at Alexandra Park being resisted by local campaigners and the Mersey Valley set to lose its wardens.

Ironically in place of what once was the Peace Gardens will now be the relocated War memorial according to plans. 

The only certainty in those plans that required the destruction of the Gardens is the buildings. As the overlong leaders of the city ‘regenerate’ it, its seems to me that they look to shape their legacies in concrete.

The Peace Gardens went down without a fight, February 2013. The Alexandra Park campaign is putting up resistance and generating local support in defence of the park trees and wildlife.

They deserve all the support they can get, see their website for latest news and what you can do to help.

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"A Graveyard of Trees"

Its been an important week for Alexandra Park.

Manchester City Council stepped up the felling of trees and in response the ‘Save Alex Park Trees’ (SAPT) campaigners mobilised to having a physical presence. There is currently a small tented group resident.

Though SAPT , supported by 100s of local residents have managed to halt most of the felling, most people who got to the park were shocked and angry about what they saw. This Green Party member had similar feelings.

It was commented that the park had become ‘a graveyard of trees’.

Some of the images and video of the week are below. They are from the area called ‘Sycamore Avenue’ (running along the Claremont Road side of park). It’s gone now.

Residents filmed the footage below just after the felling began.

There is though a significant area of trees that is still being protected by campaigners and they need your help to do so.

To get further information and to help, you can contact organisers on their website.

Images from http://savealexandraparkstrees.wordpress.com/ and individual contributions. 

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Alex Park protesters take to trees to stop “Felling Vandalism"

A plan by Manchester City Council to fell over 400 healthy trees and destroy over three acres of wildlife habitat are being condemned by Whalley Range residents. The fellings planned as part of a £4.6 M series of changes to the popular Alexandra Park in Moss Side have led to protests.

Chrissy Lowe of the Save Alexandra Parks Trees campaign said "This action by the council is completely unjustified and deliberately ignores the wishes of local residents. The Council has misled the public about both
the extent and reason for felling the trees and park users regard this as an act of municipal vandalism by a council hell-bent on riding roughshod over the local residents."

The intended changes to Alexandra Park also include controversial plans to fell many much loved mature trees to make way for tennis courts despite the fact that existing courts in the park are unused and there are already
9 tennis clubs within a mile.

"Yesterday felling began and we were able to slow things down by taking to the trees. We will continue our peaceful but firm resistance to Council actions today and we urge anyone who is able to come down and support us.  The Council also failed in its statutory duty to consult local residents. We are confident that this doesn't fulfil their legal requirements and could be grounds for judicial review." says Ian Brewer also of the campaign.

Manchester Green Party Chair Deyika Nzeribe commented “The campaign group has done everything right. They got over 2000 signatures asking for the plans to be reconsidered, they got local experts to show how the councils plans could be altered to preserve trees and they have been in dialogue with both the Council and funders the Lottery every step of the way. They have been completely ignored.

To draw a parallel, last week Manchester City Council made a great show of how unfair the cuts to local budgets were and how the government were ignoring them. The council are acting in exactly the same way as the government to this local issue.”

Anyone concerned about the Council's plans is urged to contact the Save Alexandra Parks Trees Group. A similar plan to fell 476 in Whalley Range was abandoned a year ago following a public outcry.

To get involved contact

Ian Brewer and Chrissy Lowe

savealexandraparkstrees@hotmail.com

07757639668

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Alexandra-Park-Trees/405847552830652?fref=ts

http://savealexandraparkstrees.wordpress.com/

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Green Party Leader, Natalie Bennett in Manchester supporting the Alexandra Park campaigners

Natalie Bennett, newly elected Green Party Leader is in Manchester today supporting the Alexandra Park campaigners.

The group are fighting Manchester City Council whose plans to ‘improve’ the park involve cutting down over 250 trees. 

Their petition set up only a few days ago has already got over 500 signatures.

Natalie will be at Alexandra Park TODAY (December 3^rd) at 3pm talking to the protesters and the press. If you can make it along to support the action, do so. 

Thanks.

This evening Natalie will be speaking to students at Manchester University at 7pm.

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