16
Jun 2024
Felled tree in Harrogate Valley Gardens is 'vandalism on a par with Sycamore Gap'
A tree in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens has been felled leaving visitors and Friends of Valley Gardens confused and saddened at the loss.
The yellow Laburnum tree had grown for many years next to the Magnesia Well Café, in the centre of the gardens.
The Friends of Valley Gardens is a charity which maintains the gardens. The charity told the Stray Ferret it did not know why the tree had been felled.
Anne Smith, founder and first chairman of Friends of the Valley Gardens, got in contact with the Stray Ferret to find out why the tree had been removed.
Mrs Smith said:
This is the remains of the lovely tree at the Magnesia Well. It is an act of vandalism on a par with the Sycamore Gap tree. Why on earth would they want to destroy something as lovely as that?
I had a look at the stump and it did not seem diseased to me. As a founder and first chairman of Friends of the Valley Gardens, I am not happy. Probably furious is a better word. It is vandalism on a large scale.
The remains of the felled Laburnum
Laburnum trees, also known as Golden Chain trees, bloom vibrant yellow flowers in springtime.
Laburnum are poisonous if any part of it is ingested, but North Yorkshire Council cited rot as the reason it should be felled.
North Yorkshire Council’s head of parks and grounds, Jonathan Clubb, said:
It is always sad when a tree of this age has to be taken down. Unfortunately, a large limb failed due to both the weight of blossom and a pocket of rot where the branch joined the trunk.
When our tree team examined it, it was decided that removal was the best option, not only for the tree, but also for the safety of the public.
Mr Clubb added that the council will review the site with an aim to replace the tree in the future.
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