Tree Preservation Order application

Tree Preservation Order application required for the vicinity of Queens Road. This also highlights the issue to further protect other woodlands and trees in Chorley.

Chorley Council declared a Climate Emergency, yet a matter of months later they plan to fell up to 8 mature, healthy, established trees to resurface and create more car parking spaces on Queens Road car park at one of the entrances to Astley Park.

Chorley Council states that the plans are as part of improvements to the town centre, yet 300 new parking spaces (also with 3 hours free parking) have recently been created closer to the Town Centre and facilities.

Users of the car park (mainly walkers in the park, businesses on Queens Road and their customers), have had no issue in driving around these beautiful trees to access a parking spot. If there aren't enough spaces, there is a car park just around the corner, a couple of minutes away and further car parks at St Mary's, Devonshire Rd and Gillibrand Street.

To mitigate the loss of the trees Chorley Council propose to plant 20 more trees around Chorley. The felled trees will be chipped and used in the biomass industry as fuel. 20 immature trees will take decades to balance the benefits of these mature trees, and to even re-absorb the Carbon released by burning the felled wood. Not to mention the biodiversity lost when a mature tree is felled and removed.

There is also concern about the local bat population, a protected species, and the destruction of their habitat. Residents wish to involve wildlife agencies and want to see survey evidence regarding bat activity in the area.

Chorley residents also want sight of the following:

1. Environmental Impact Assessment

2. Report from the Council Arbiculturalist

If the car park requires resurfacing Chorley Council must find a resurfacing solution that doesn’t involve chopping down up to 8 mature trees. If there isn’t a solution that does not enable the trees to remain then this is not an appropriate location for a car park.

Chorley Council's plan to cut down these trees flies in the face of the governments proposals to plant 30 million trees each year by 2024.

Chorley needs to protect its established trees far more than it needs extra car parking spaces.