Trees lost to create level croquet pitches in Shrewsbury
Thursday 22nd December 2011, 6:59PM GMT.
Up to 20 large trees have been removed on a Shrewsbury recreation ground to improve the playing surface for a county croquet club.
The fir trees have been removed by Shropshire Council on Monkmoor Recreation Ground, home to Shrewsbury Croquet Club, as part of an £18,000 scheme to level off and resurface the two full-size croquet pitches on site and install new irrigation and security measures.
Officials say felling the trees will improve the club’s playing surface, which deteriorates during the season at present.
But nearby residents claim to have been left in the dark about the plans.
Alan Hill, whose property backs onto the field, said: “I can quite appreciate what they are doing in terms of improving the pitches but when I saw contractors turn up and start hacking down the trees I thought what on earth was going on?
“We’ve lived here for 14 years and the club have played on their pitches every summer without a problem seemingly.”
Tim Sneddon, service manager for environmental maintenance at the council, said: “There were no preservation orders on the trees and planning permission had already been granted.”
The council owns the recreation ground. Graham Colclough, secretary for the club, said: “You need the pitch as flat as a billiard table and unfortunately in order to preserve them some of the trees had to go.”
By David Seadon
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