WHEN we read recently about the planned removal of trees from the High Street as part of the council’s regeneration scheme, we – rather naively, as it turns out – thought that the trees would be lifted and possibly transplanted to a safe location, maybe to be re-instated once the work was complete.

Imagine our dismay when shopping on February 11 to find an example of what wecanonly describe as civic vandalism.

In its haste to get started, the council – through its contractors – has seen fit to simply have the trees cut down.

Presumably the extensive stumps have been left to prevent people tripping over them? Someone will probably say it would have cost too much to transplant the trees or dig them out, but surely they’ll have to be dug out anyway?

Yet again it seemsthatBromsgroveDistrict Council is determined to railroad its plans through without listening to the residents of Bromsgrove – witness the closure/destruction of the Market Hall despite the opposition.

Any talk of consultation is merely paying lip-service to the idea. Yes, they’ll consult with us, but then they’ll go ahead and do what they want anyway.

Paul and Trisha Walsh, Sidemoor