Woodhouse Moor: Controversial tree planting scheme in Leeds halted after backlash from campaigners
A controversial tree planting project in Leeds has been brought to a halt after backlash from campaigners.
The proposal, to plant hundreds of trees at Woodhouse Moor, was met with concerns from local groups who accused the council of “riding roughshod” over objections.
They said that the area designated for planting was previously a wildflower meadow and that the plans were inappropriate for land used for recreation.
But the council argued there had been support for the planting scheme in a recent consultation.
However, an update from the authority confirmed that work has now been “paused” as a result of residents’ requests for the scheme to be cancelled.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “The council has been consulting with the community on the proposals for tree planting at Woodhouse Moor.
“Our consultation process informed us that there were more people in support of the planting scheme than there were against it.
“However, multiple people have been in contact subsequently with requests for the scheme to be cancelled, therefore we have taken the decision to pause works.”
The statement added: “The council would like to extend its thanks to those people who had volunteered to help with the planting and hope that they will come and support another tree planting scheme in the future.”
Among those to raise concerns last week was Bill McKinnon, the chair of Friends of Woodhouse Moor.
He said that a similar tree planting scheme was met with negative responses in a consultation five years ago, but that there was little dialogue with residents this time.
Mr McKinnon also questioned the council’s plans to replace broken York flagstones near to the park’s Queen Victoria memorial with tarmac, arguing that it would break the authority’s own conservation rules.
But the council said in response that Yorkshire stone would be “unaffordable” and that a “temporary tarmac repair is needed for public safety”.