Opinion : Trees are what made Wycombe great

I read with great interest the article that appeared in the news section of this site about a home owner who was fined £2,770 for cutting down a protected tree in Hazlemere.

It may take many decades for a tree to grow but only a few moments for a workman with a chainsaw to cut it down.

My good self is glad to see that Tree Preservation Orders (TPO’s) are being enforced and the courts are handing out stiff fines to those who break them.

As far as I’m concerned more TPO’s should be made to protect the lovely trees that make up our nice town. In the parks, on the pavements and in the town centre the trees are what gives Wycombe its character.

Personally yours truly would like to see the system changed so that all trees, no matter how old or how large, are protected by default and a system of Tree Preservation Exclusion Orders (TPEXO’s) were introduced to un-exclude trees from protection.

If TPEXO’s were brought in there would be no question about whether or not a tree was protected as they all would be unless declared otherwise.

Of course trees have played an important part in Wycombe’s history as the towns industrial might was built upon cutting down trees to make furniture so it’s only right that we look after the trees that remain.

Personally your humble servant would like to see more trees planted in the town. A few more trees beside the road would not only to make the residential areas look nicer but also to stop rogue drivers from parking on the pavements.

How about creating some new woods in the locality? It would be great to see a sustained programme of tree planting taking place throughout the district.

At my ancestral home there are many fine trees in my private arboretum. The trees in my orchard are not only nice to look at but they provide fruit too.

Everyone can do their bit to increase the number of trees in Wycombe indeed if every home owner planted just one tree in their garden next year just think how much nicer the residential areas of the town would be.

Trees also help to encourage wildlife too so they bring huge environmental benefits.

I find it strange that the environmentalists are concerned at reducing our use of plastic bags and cutting the use of fossil fuels when they could be focusing on getting everyone to plant a tree to save the planet.

Those who cut down trees, especially ones protected by preservation orders, should feel the full penalty of law and rightly so.

What do you think?

*My blogs are published every Tuesday and Friday evening around 8.00pm here on the WycombeToday.com website.

You can also follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ivor.wycombe or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Ivor_Wycombe.