I am continuing to receive emails and phone calls from people concerned about the situation with the Armada Way trees, and so I have been in touch with Plymouth City Council to ask them for an update. I have strongly opposed the Council’s plans to chop down the trees and believe we need more trees, not fewer trees, in the city centre.

Plymouth City Council have said that, in compliance with the court order, they commissioned an independent ecologist to review the branches, fallen trees and tree stumps and put together a methodology for their removal.

The ecologist’s report has now been passed to the claimant in the High Court case, for her expert to review and to comment on. They have said that they will consider any comments and the clean-up work was scheduled to start tomorrow, on Thursday 27^th April.

They have now said that they have received some comments that they need to consider and so the work has been delayed and will not start tomorrow as planned.

I am keen to hear more from the Council about the revised plans for Armada Way and will post any further updates here.

I am sure that none of us want to see a repeat of the evening of shame that happened when the trees were felled, and Plymouth City Council must make sure that they are transparent with their future actions and plans so that they earn back public confidence. I was pleased to hear them release details of this latest delay, and I will be continuing to keep a close eye on this.