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£3,000 to take Sid the Sycamore down
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| CHRONICLING DESTRUCTION: Campaigner Matthew Myatt films Side the Sycamore being chopped down. |
CHOPPING down Sid the Sycamore cost the taxpayer around £3,000, the Daily Echo can reveal.
The 72-year-old tree in Eastleigh was at the centre of a year long "save it" campaign, before it fell victim to the chainsaw on Easter Monday.
Council have felled the tree on the edge of the Leigh Road Recreation Ground, to make way for a new dance studio complex at The Point.
Protesters who launched a campaign to save the tree were left helpless as branch by branch the sycamore - planted to celebrate Eastleigh becoming a borough - was destroyed.
Police and security guards stood by as a team of tree surgeons moved in to chop down the tree, costing the taxpayer thousands of pounds in bank holiday work payments.
Now after being approached by the Daily Echo the council has revealed that the cost of removing the tree, which took about five hours, was around £2,000.
Bringing in security
guards added about £1,000 to the bill.
Since Sid was given the chop the Daily Echo website has been bombarded by more than 50 messages, including protests over the cost of carrying out the work on a bank holiday.
One reader wrote: "I watched the cutting down this morning. It cost us a fortune. Eight tree surgeons, four security guards and two police officers and all on a double time bank holiday."
When asked why the tree was felled on a bank holiday, a council spokesman said: "Part of Romsey Road needed to be closed in order to remove the tree.
"Instructions from Hampshire Highways were that the tree could not be removed during the working week. Therefore it had to be removed at the weekend.
"As Saturday is the town's busy market day and Sunday was Palm Sunday it was decided to remove the tree on Bank Holiday Monday."
The spokesman said that following trespass onto The Point and the sycamore tree the council were advised on security and health and safety grounds to fence off the area and employ security staff.
11:30am Wednesday 26th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: Log On on 1:57pm Wed 26 Mar 08
So lumberjacks and hangers on were earning an average of £42.00 an hour. Is "Tree Surgeon" a new posh name for gents in a white transit
So lumberjacks and hangers on were earning an average of £42.00 an hour. Is "Tree Surgeon" a new posh name for gents in a white transit
Posted by: Robert on 2:51pm Wed 26 Mar 08
It's always the weak and inarticulate who suffer.
The tree couldn't speak for itself.
It's always the weak and inarticulate who suffer.
The tree couldn't speak for itself.
Posted by: paul b on 9:04pm Wed 26 Mar 08
Blame the bloody benefit claiming tree huggers
They are know to be nasty hence needing the police and security there.
Blame the bloody benefit claiming tree huggers
They are know to be nasty hence needing the police and security there.
Posted by: mika lover, real world on 10:36pm Wed 26 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Log On[/bold] wrote:
So lumberjacks and hangers on were earning an average of £42.00 an hour. Is "Tree Surgeon" a new posh name for gents in a white transit[/quote] the security staff were on less than half the amount you quoted ,what do you get on benefits.
Log On wrote:
So lumberjacks and hangers on were earning an average of £42.00 an hour. Is "Tree Surgeon" a new posh name for gents in a white transit
the security staff were on less than half the amount you quoted ,what do you get on benefits.
Posted by: mika lover, real world on 10:42pm Wed 26 Mar 08
[quote][bold]paul b[/bold] wrote:
Blame the bloody benefit claiming tree huggers They are know to be nasty hence needing the police and security there.[/quote] pleased to hear from someone who lives in the real world.protesters cost us thousands getting on their bandwagons.about time we protested about the protesters.
paul b wrote:
Blame the bloody benefit claiming tree huggers They are know to be nasty hence needing the police and security there.
pleased to hear from someone who lives in the real world.protesters cost us thousands getting on their bandwagons.about time we protested about the protesters.
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