A Bedfordview resident has raised concerns about trees being removed in the area without ‘due process’ being followed.
Merilyn Byers-Horton noted how over the past year, Bedfordview has been losing trees due to development as well as “just blatant laziness to seek alternative problem-solving”.
Byers-Horton listed three problem areas as follows;
1) Bedford Crossing – This development cost us a good few Jacarandas due to road widening (community not consulted, but just told it would happen). Bear in mind, those trees created a natural noise/ pollution barrier against the freeway.
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2) Van Buuren Road/ Kloof Road – This was another development blunder. Two of our beautiful aged oaks were hacked without consent. Again, well documented, but as far as I know, nothing was done to punish the party involved in this cutting.
3) Corner Bowling Road/ Florence Avenue – This is the latest cutting currently taking place. The property owner’s wall is cracking. Instead of seeking a more permanent solution in securing his wall (I believe there are ways to build around well-aged, established trees). The roots are well established beyond these walls, as evidenced by the extensive drip line. So just cutting down the trees isn’t going to solve the problem.
“How can Bedfordview council approve this scale of cutting, especially as these trees serve as protection and housing for many bird species? These trees also produce heavy flowering annually, which supports our already declining bee population; they also serve as a natural air conditioning system, and lastly, they add value to both the street as well as the area,” said Byers-Horton.
The resident strongly expressed her belief that the trees were cut outside of by-law regulations.
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Concerning the trees cut for the Bedford Crossing mall to make way for a road on Boeing Road East, Ward 20 councillor Jill Humphreys said residents were alerted but not asked for permission.
“All departments commented in terms of process, ahead of the development of the shopping centre. The council’s approval for the shopping centre’s construction included the removal of the trees. There were no objections to the trees removed,” the councillor added.
She further said the councillor cannot approve of or deny anything. “We can only state our support or not.”
Regarding the Bowling Road and Florence Avenue property, the councillor said there was a report of termites. She also said there was significant damage to the property’s wall, and that the property owner had been requesting the City for about six months to cut the trees.
Humphreys said, “The trees are very beautiful, and it breaks my heart to cut down any tree, but these are not indigenous trees.
“There are also no nests in these trees, and there never were. Once these trees are out, we will plant indigenous trees here, and we won’t plant them so close to the wall.”
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The councillor acknowledged both sides, of the property owner and the concerned residents, and said she was doing her best to strike a balance.
Humphreys expressed that she felt not enough was being done to protect Bedfordview’s urban canopy.
“Our trees are being attacked by all manner of fungus, Shothole borer beetle. The fact that they are usually located above essential services, such as electricity cables and water pipelines, also makes it very difficult to work around them.
“The roots often block and burst sewer lines. But our trees are our heritage, and we need to do everything we can to preserve them. Our City resources are extremely limited, and essential treatments are usually not available,” she said.
She added that when critical work is carried out on the infrastructure, often the old trees have their roots smashed and damaged.
Humphreys said, “As much as possible, I always request our departments to work around the trees and not through them.”
The City of Ekurhuleni was contacted for comments on April 1 and again on April 13, but no response was provided.
