Health and Safety/Legal issues – in 2001 the House of Lords ruled in an expensive case for Westminster City Council that they should have chopped down a street tree earlier. They didn’t and had to pay over £500,000 compensation to one property owner plus legal costs. Councils don’t want to get sued…is this what is killing our trees? Individual rights take precedence over public benefit? Is it our paranoia about health and safety?

• An office that I worked for had a Car Park that was lined with lovely mature trees until recently. I asked one of the staff that I am still in contact with as to what happened to them. The response? A female employee who is well known for teetering around on six inch stilettos no matter the weather fell and hurt her arm while walking on the pavement underneath the trees. The result? No more trees, just a line of stumps where they used to be. Mick C, Leeds
• Wait a minute, people are afraid of getting attacked by trees?? Move to New Zealand!! We have trees by the squillions and you can’t sue for personal injury! Mimi Adams, Christchurch, New Zealand
• There were once many trees in my area and they too have been cut down… why? Because everytime a tree branch fell on a parked car (due to storms etc) people were suing the council for damage! The council did the most cost effective thing, and there you go- no trees! Now those very same people who blamed the council for falling branches are now blaming them for lack of greenery… typical Graham, Ashford Middlesex, UK
• “Home-owners can see trees as a nuisance, affecting their investment” Well tough titty, they don’t own the trees we all do. And anyway if a building is only treated an investment, the owners desrerve all they get - this selfish and greedy behaviour has had massive detremental effect on the economy for millions, let alone the environmental and social degredation it brings on us all. Nick S, Northampton

“Health and Safety/Legal issues – in 2001 the House of Lords ruled in an expensive case for Westminster City Council that they should have chopped down a street tree earlier. They didn’t and had to pay over £500,000 compensation to one property owner plus legal costs. Councils don’t want to get sued…is this what is killing our trees? Individual rights take precedence over public benefit? Is it our paranoia about health and safety?” has One Response