No approval was granted for cutting trees on Van Buuren Road – CoE
CoE says any request for the removal/pruning of a tree on a sidewalk will only be considered if the request is submitted in writing.
The City of Ekurhuleni states there are no records of any application for the removal of trees on Van Buuren Road submitted to the office of the divisional head of Parks and Cemeteries.
The city’s spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said no approval was granted.
This is in response to Bedfordview’s beloved oak trees on Van Buuren Road which were recently cut down by an alleged developer,. This led to outrage within the community.
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At the time, NPO Better Bedfordview responded to the matter by taking legal action.
The NPO’s communications officer Wendy Zipp told Bedfordview/Edenvale News that they were alerted that trees were being cut down “illegally” on the corner of Kloof and Van Buuren roads, to make way for a new development.
She added that upon further investigation, they established that the developer had advised that all three remaining trees on that corner would be cut down.
Dlamini’s response to allegations of developers cutting down trees in the area stated that in terms of the City of Ekurhuleni by-laws for the planting, running, removal and treatment of street trees:
• 6.8 Any request for the removal/pruning of a tree on a sidewalk shall only be considered if the request is submitted in writing and addressed to the Divisional Head: Parks and Cemeteries.
The metro determines the cost of removing the trees from time to time and this will be recovered from the owner if it is not in the interest of the metro to remove the tree.
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• 6.16.9 developers shall provide a detailed site plan of any new development showing the location of all street trees adjacent to the property which shall be approved by the Divisional Head: Parks and Cemeteries before the development proceeding.
“An investigation will be conducted to determine the extent of the damage caused and the applicable tariff fines according to the tree sizes will then be imposed,” said Dlamini.
