Saplings can never replace mature trees

When John Lamb states the widening of Priory Crescent will “not impact on Priory Park itself or any of the trees within the park’s boundaries”, what he is failing to mention is that in addition to the two protected Lebanon spruces on the junction, the entire row of mature trees in Priory Crescent are set to be cut down.

I am fed up with being told that for every tree cut down, the council will plant two. Firstly, saplings can never replace our precious, but rapidly declining mature trees. Secondly, the council is failing to tell us these replacements can conveniently be planted anywhere within the borough.

I have been trying unsuccessfully for weeks to obtain a copy of the Cuckoo Corner plans from the council and having finally been shown a copy, courtesy of Skipp (the local residents’ group which is working tirelessly to stop this madness), I can see why!

The real reason behind this mindless destruction is not to increase traffic flow which is the line we are being fed, but to make way for the expansion of Southend Airport.

These are just some of the many reasons why people from all over the town are joining forces to support the protesters at Cuckoo Corner and stop the council repeating what it did at Victoria Circus.

The tree felling is due to commence any time now and then it will be too late to halt this out-of-control council and its cuckoo scheme.

I therefore urge anyone who has concerns about the council’s true motives to join Skipp in their determined efforts to stop the proposed destruction and save the town from disappearing under yet more concrete.

Jackie Callow
Cambridge Road
Southend

...I see the tree huggers are at it again, this time at Cuckoo Corner cluttering up the place and defacing trees with silly ribbons.

Lots of us like trees and shrubs and pretty flowers, but, as with anything living, nothing lasts forever.

So why the big hoo-ha over a handful of trees that will be felled if more will inevitably be planted to replace them?

A tree is just that, a tree!

It expects to be felled as its ancestors were, but after death new life is created by building furniture and houses and even the paper that “save our tree” notices are printed on and even the Echo which allows them their bit of publicity.

So go home huggers and sit in front of a log fire and admire your wooden spoon award for trying to thwart progress. Sorry chums, you can’t win.

Trevor Murdin
Flemming Crescent
Leigh

...Ahmad Khwaja’s comments (March 2) regarding Cuckoo Corner and Priory Crescent were refreshing to read to say the least.

I drive through Cuckoo Corner, via Priory Crescent, on a regular basis, many times of which are during the morning commute.

More times than not, the traffic is backed up almost to the railway bridge on Eastern Avenue which on a good day takes ten minutes to get to the Cuckoo Corner.

In ten minutes of idling, the average car burns .1 litre of fuel and releases 270 grams of carbon into the atmosphere. The council’s decision to widen the road will ease congestion and speed up the time it takes to navigate through this overly busy area.

If the protesters of Camp Cuckoo are “green,” as they claim, maybe they should stop wasting everyone’s time with this silly protest as all they are really doing is standing in the way of progress.

Lucas Pung
Waterloo Road
Shoebury

...Do Southend councillors not listen to the majority?

Trees in Priory Crescent are to be taken away and taxpayers’ money spent on so-called improvements to help traffic flow for about an hour-and-a-half in the morning and the same in the evening.

Most of the traffic is caused by parents taking their children to school.

The solution is to give them bus passes.

Buses pass me in the morning with seats vacant.

Even if another bus was put on at these times it still would not be as much traffic as there is now and the cost to the council to pay for the bus would be minimal compared to the cost of the new layout.

It will only cause more delays at the Bell and Victoria Avenue if traffic lights replace the roundabout.

So we all need a little more patience. I try not to travel at those times, but if I have to I leave plenty of time. It is too great a price to pay for cars and pollution.

Every town suffers rush-hour traffic and has always done so. Southend has expanded enough. It was once a very nice place to live. Keep at it Bling Cuckoo!

Hilli Franks
Carlton Avenue
Westcliff

...I was born and bred in Southend. My whole family loved Priory Park.

Why does the road have to lose so many beautiful trees? Why the secrecy from Southend Council? I have phoned the Civic Centre to try to speak to someone about Priory Crescent. I got no answers to anything I asked.

I really feel for those brave people who have climbed those trees, at least they have guts to stand up and be counted. I just wish I was 30 years younger.

Christine Taylor
Appleford Court
Pitsea

...Ahmad Khwaja has no understanding of local people’s thoughts about the trees that were removed from Victoria Circus, trying to cover up the action with the flannel for every felled another two will be planted.

What he fails to understand is people do not like what seems to be an unjustifiable reason for removing them and to say the appearance of a junction will bring more visitors to Southend is a joke.

Next he will telling me Southend Council will be putting pictures of the completed junction on postcards and making it a tourist attraction

Bryan Appleby
Lundy Close
Southend

...Southend Council is determined to steamroller through the road scheme for Cuckoo Corner.

It doesn’t want to waste £5million of Government money, but it doesn’t matter whose money it is, it will be a total waste.

I would be a road to nowhere, a glorified car park to add to Southend’s already gridlocked roads.

Every time traffic lights fail, motorists cheer and traffic flow improves.

With all the roadworks, humps and badly synchronised traffic lights, motoring is grinding to a halt and pollution has considerably increased.

Len Lierens
Southchurch Road
Southend