Plans to chop down Bantock Park trees for new car park branded 'daft'
Plans to chop down several mature trees to create an over-spill car park at Wolverhampton’s historic Bantock Park have been met with outrage by environmental campaigners in the city.
Wolverhampton Council is currently conducting a public consultation into the proposals in order to get people’s views on their plans to extend parking facilities at the popular estate, which attracts thousands of visitors every year.
However, the move has been condemned by the city’s leading green representatives, who are calling on members of the public to oppose the plans through the council’s online consultation.
A spokesman for Wolverhampton Green Party said: “As greens we were absolutely delighted when the council declared a climate emergency on July 20.
“So why – just ten days later – did they open a public consultation on a proposal to create an over-spill car park in Bantock Park, one of the city’s precious green open spaces?
“The council says the car park will be used when there are popular public events taking place in the park. If it goes through, several mature trees will be felled and a natural space replaced with an ugly ‘grass-crete’ surface.
“We can’t get our heads around how this addresses a climate emergency. The council should be encouraging people to use public transport, or cycle or walk to its natural green spaces. Parks are for people, not for cars,” he added.
'A daft plan'
Lower Penn Green parish councillor Steve Bradley, who lives in Wolverhampton, said: “This is a daft plan by a city council that appears to be paying lip service at best to the climate emergency that it has just declared.
“Replacement tree planting, as proposed, is not sustainable as the new specimens will take decades to mature sufficiently to act as a carbon sink. In addition, the authority needs to show proper leadership on car use, and to encourage – with great haste – a dramatic move away from fossil fuels.”
Wolverhampton South West MP Eleanor Smith has also voiced her concerns over the proposed development.
She said: “Bantock Park is a beautiful part of Wolverhampton and I want to see it used by all the community. Reducing green space, getting rid of mature trees – which remove carbon monoxide – and shrinking the bio-diversity is not the way to go.
“I would urge as many people as possible to have their say on this. However, a major concern I do have is that the council’s online consultation restricts comment and feedback from those who do not have access to the internet, as not everyone does.”
A copy of the proposed plans is on display at Bantock House and feedback slips are also available in the entrance to the building.
People have until Friday August 30 to take part in the consultation, which can be found on the city council’s website at https://consultation.wolverhampton.gov.uk/cwc/bantock-park-proposed-overspill-car-park.
