Reading council staff have been blasted for cutting down budding trees at one of the biggest parks in the town.
Saplings were planted in Palmer Park in East Reading near huge existing mature trees that line the park.
But photos from John Sharpe, who lives nearby, purportedly show the trees being cut down and the grass being mowed.
Councillor Dave McElroy (Green, Redlands) has accused council staff of incompetence as tree saplings appear to have been cut in Palmer Park.
He said: “The resident who told me about this was there as it was happening.
“He said that it appeared like they noticed what they were doing as they went around the saplings in some areas and straight over them in others.
“I can’t believe they’ve done it again. Whether it’s saplings, failed transport schemes or whatever, this council never seems to learn.”
Cllr McElroy was the Green candidate for the Reading Central constituency during the 2024 general election, which covers Palmer Park.
The council has since apologised for the incident that happened to the ‘tree whips’, which are very young, slender trees, usually in the form of unbranched saplings.
These whips are often planted with a plastic casing to protect them.
But a spokesperson suggested that the tree inside the plastic casing had already died or never grown properly – so the cutting hasn’t removed a healthy sapling.
They said: “The council apologises unreservedly for this mistake. It is unacceptable that this error has been allowed to happen again, which is why we are investigating the circumstances, and appropriate management action will be taken once the facts have been established.
“Thankfully, an on-foot inspection of the site established that any damage was likely to have been marginal. While some plastic whip casings were visible, most were empty, which suggests the whip had failed to establish.
“It is because of their very nature and vulnerability as a small sapling that the council seeks to limit the practice of planting whips and never includes the planting of whips in any annual tree count increases.
“The council has reiterated to staff, however, the requirement to avoid mowing this area. In the meantime, we will consider options for the planting of better-established alternative species at this location in time for the next growing season.
“The council’s Tree Strategy outlines its commitment to increasing the number of trees in Reading and over 300 new trees are being planted each year as part of that strategy.”
