Council Leader Steps In To Have Nets On Trees Removed

Published on: 12 Mar, 2019
Updated on: 13 Mar, 2019

After protests on social media about nets on the trees on a site in Woodbridge Meadows, Guildford Borough Council leader, Cllr Paul Spooner, has stepped in with a commitment that the developer will now remove them within two days.

In a statement on Twitter on Monday afternoon (March 11), Cllr Paul Spooner tweeted: “I am pleased to advise that the developer responsible for netting the trees is removing the nets within 48 hours. Eleven trees were netted in total all on land controlled by the developer.”

Netting over trees on the Walnut Tree Park site preventing birds nesting.

The netting placed over the trees is assumed to have been put in place to prevent birds from nesting in them. (See also ‘Why Are Trees Shrouded In Woodbridge Meadows?‘).

Cllr Paul Spooner had undertaken to look into the netting of trees in Guildford.

The Guildford Dragon NEWS has approached the developer, Peveril Securities, for confirmation but no-one was available for comment.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, any tree or hedge becomes a protected site the moment a bird settles in it. The bird nesting season is generally from about February until August and, subject to the site achieving planning approval, nesting birds could potentially delay work on the site.

Twitter exchange on the netting of trees on the Walnut Tree Park site in Woodbridge Meadows. As of 2pm on March 11, the tweet had 2,659 retweets and 4,430 likes indicating a strength of feeling against the practise of netting trees.

Comments on Twitter included; “”Just to be clear, it’s NOT to protect birds from harm; it’s to protect developers from costly delays. Nesting birds are protected by law.” and “My seven-year-old son says ‘That’s just dumb. Birds need a house.'”

Cllr Susan Parker.

Susan Parker, Guildford Borough Council councillor for Send and leader of the Guildford Greenbelt Group said in a comment on The Guildford Dragon NEWS: “Netting trees and hedges is utterly unacceptable. it is supposed to prevent birds nesting, but can lead to birds being trapped in the netting and dying, To do this in order to accommodate a possible future planning application is appalling.”

An article in The Guardian on March 4 questioned whether it was cruel to set up nets that prevent birds nesting. Quoting from a representative of the British Trust for Ornithology, the article said that “netting is ‘probably the lowest-impact option if a habitat has to be removed during the breeding season’. But done badly it might be worse than nothing”.

An Arboricultural Assessment of the trees on the site in October 2018, included in the planning application document, said that 13 trees would require removal for the development. It also noted: “The proposed scheme demonstrates a considerable amount of new planting which would appropriately mitigate the losses.”

The shrouded tree on Woodbridge Meadows is a silver birch and is subject to a Tree protection Order (TPO). It would require removal as part of the development proposals.

The site is subject to a planning application submitted in November 2018 for accommodation for 361 student apartments. The application is for five- and six-storey blocks and is yet to be approved. An application for a 12-storey building was withdrawn earlier in the year.

Responses to Council Leader Steps In To Have Nets On Trees Removed

S Reeve Reply

March 13, 2019 at 7:04 am

This is outrageous behaviour. Thank you, Cllr Spooner, for quite rightly intervening. If they resort to this sort of underhand behaviour at this stage in the process, one wonders what other antics the developers might try if they are granted planning permission?
Valerie Thompson Reply

March 13, 2019 at 8:27 am

The Times also covered this story yesterday. In fact, it was one of the Times’ columnists who posted a photo online, causing the writer, Philip Pullman among thousands of other commentators, to express their abhorrence at this attempt by a developer to prevent birds from nesting.

Cllr Spooner then reacted to their disapproval. However, your article says that the development has not yet been approved, so the developer’s actions are even more reprehensible.

As a corollary to this story I, and many other members of the public, are even more concerned at the council’s intention to support the building of student accommodation, within the town, rather than providing the social and affordable housing that Guildford needs.

If the University of Surrey is expanding at such a rate that this quantity of student flats is needed then they should build on their own land. The students must be bringing in a considerable income to the University, but if such accommodation cannot be provided on campus, then fewer students should be accepted.

We are glad that the national media has followed up on our story first published on Thursday (March 7). Ed
Gina Redpath Reply

March 14, 2019 at 4:53 pm

This morning (Thursday) two of the trees were still covered in nets and there were some yellow jackets on site I asked them what they were doing and they said they were removing the nets so that they could fell the trees to prevent the birds from nesting. Hope I was being wound up.
John Perkins Reply

March 14, 2019 at 8:13 pm

I wonder how the nets comply with the law, which is not to: “Use traps or similar items to kill, injure or take wild birds.” Injure being the most important word.

More contentiously perhaps, how does netting trees comply with the law not to, “Intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bird listed on Schedule 1 while it is nest building, or at a nest containing eggs or young, or disturb the dependent young of such a bird. Is the developer able to show there were no nests there before it put up its nets?
Natasha Goble Reply

March 26, 2019 at 10:10 am

Readers should see how Cllr Spooner talks and treats people who dare to voice concerns over tree and hedge netting, daring to ask for him to investigate the council’s dealings over this matter. I felt he was rude in his responses and he blocked me, on Twitter, as I believe he has others who oppose him.

He is only interested in good publicity and only acted when a journalist and actress became involved in the tree netting.
- Jim Allen Reply
  
  March 26, 2019 at 2:37 pm
  
  Sadly when a man courts controversy he should be able to take the flack as well. Cllr Spooner did nothing about 80db adjacent my house either but thank you Gary Durant council officer extraordinaire for picking up the very large club along with Julie Oates. Tis silent now.
- Paul Spooner Reply
  
  March 26, 2019 at 4:42 pm
  
  Ms Goble proudly boasts that she has been “blocked” by many organisations and people. She is correct that after I tried to engage with her it was not possible to have a sensible conversation and then, when she teamed up with opposition candidates to try and “prove” council wrongdoing, although there clearly was none, I blocked her.
  
  That made her one of only two people blocked and she is not from Guildford or Surrey.
  
  Both the originator of the original tweet (a writer) and I, have pointed out that I responded to her and yet she still continued this nonsense. The writer has also blocked her due to her rudeness.
  
  It is disappointing that The Dragon has posted your message without checking the facts, but why let the facts get in the way of an opportunity to knock the council and the leader. I thought Mr Giles was making an effort to at least appear impartial, but recent days have shown he is only interested in sensationalism. Sad.
  
  Paul Spooner is the Conservative leader of Guildford Borough Council.
  - John Perkins Reply
    
    March 27, 2019 at 7:28 am
    
    The letters in these pages are all opinion and we are all entitled to hold and express them, within the bounds of decency and the law.
    
    If Paul Spooner is sad and disappointed that the editor publishes views critical of him, how much sadder he must be using unmoderated social media.
F Curtis Reply

March 26, 2019 at 9:06 pm

This petition is supported by Stephen Fry and many others. It deals with netting hedges. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/244233

I presume that the petition instigator didn’t dream for one minute that developers would go to the extremes that they have in Guildford. Having looked at planning issues whilst on a parish council, it became very clear that those who flaunted regulations generally did so knowingly and in the knowledge that the gain would outweigh the pain.

Lack of resources, thanks to government cut-backs and reprioritising in favour of a development driven agenda, I fear little if anything will happen (under this government at least).