Observatory Hill Tree Clearance

The latest BCC paper on this proposal from the Downs Committee minutes of September 2009, here. To quote from this paper, the Committee are well aware of the ire that this proposal arouses {7/9/2009, Item 8, section 15}:

"There is a risk that the public will object strongly to the restoration of the hill fort, which impacts on the reputation of the Downs Committee and ultimately leads to members deciding not to proceed with the restoration plans. This will respresent a waste of the committee's resources used for the consultation" "

In other words they are more worried about the votes of their electors, than the sense of the proposal. As usual the view presented is an historical one with an illustration by Samuel H. Grimm (1788-9).

However, the Council Downs Committee appear to be determined to go ahead with cutting down many of the trees around Observatory Hill, they are already pollarding them, no doubt that any consultation will be a sham. If the Council decide to go ahead with these works, the effect will be to degrade the landscape quality and amenity value of Clifton Green. This will undoubtedly have an impact on local property values, other problems that we forsee are:

• Unsightly tree stumps and scrub will remain for years to come. The ramparts are not magically going to return to grass. Stumps cannot be removed from the rocky ramparts. Scrub and weeds will continue to reappear.
• Mountain bikers will be attracted from all over Bristol causing erosion damage to the monument, and nuisence to local residents.
• The Observatory Cafe will be visible with attendant parked vehicles and on-going building works.
• The ramparts will become a tourist feature with an increase to local littering and yet more local parking pressure.

The Council and English Heritage claim that these works are necessary to "protect the monument". This is the reverse of the truth. The presence of vegetation is protecting the monument from human erosion. In Leigh Woods, where trees and scrub have been removed from the Iron Age Fort there, the National Trust have been forced to plead with the public (especially mountain bikers) to keep off the ramparts because of the damage they are doing.

The yellow line shows the (approximate) bounds of the Iron Age Fort - the Scheduled Monument (English Heritage) The SSSI and SAC regionds can be seen via the interactive map: "Nature on the Map"

Photographs of the site taken on Sept 3rd 2009 can be seen via Facebook. In the bottom right of the above map you can see the tops of two magnificant chestnut trees (marked with the green icon); no longer, they have been ruined by pollarding.