Sir - In your Letters to the Editor section of the Sidmouth Herald, April 22 – Tree fell ‘Surprise’ – it was omitted to say where the trees the letter referred to are/were located.
The trees in question are on the development site of the Sainsbury’s store in Ottery St Mary.
The co-existence of these trees and the store had been raised (and insisted on) during the consultation/planning stage of the development and assurances had been recieved from Sainsbury’s that the trees will remain/be preserved.
From my lay point of view it might have been provident for Sainsbury’s to ‘protect’ the trees during excavation/heavy plant work by perhaps encasing or suporting these trees to ensure their safety.
If, as is claimed, the felling of other trees to make space for the store exposed the now endangered/felled trees, contributed to the trees becoming unstable, precautionary measures should have been made.
Once again, the ‘just in case’ short-cut provision in the planning approval to allow felling without recourse to full planning approval (and seeking of full professional advice) seems rather ‘furtunate’.
Elli Pang
10 Yonder Street
Ottery St Mary
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