The municipality of Groningen prevented a new legal procedure on the trees at the Der Aa tower in Groningen on Monday by cutting them down.
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Three trees – an oak, a chestnut and a lime – were cut to pieces yesterday morning to the surprise of many passers-by. That happened just before the Council of State wanted to call the municipality to discuss a new procedure.
Written appeal
The Bomenridders Foundation lodged a written appeal against the statement from the court over the tree felling. The Council was also asked to suspend the logging permit for the time being. The Groningen court did the same last year.
There is no longer a repeat on appeal because the trees are now gone. The municipality also prevented physical actions against the hood.
No more worries
According to a spokesperson for the municipality, the court’s final verdict on the trees in January was so clear that it would no longer be affected. The court concluded that the municipality had acted with due care. The plan was adjusted last year: initially five trees would die.
The remains of one of the felled trees at the Der Aa church in Groningen
According to a spokesperson for the Council of State, a municipality does not have to wait to cut down when a provisional provision has been requested, but governments usually do. The Bomenridders foundation assumed that the municipality would wait until all legal options for objecting were exhausted. All the more so because after a provisional provision, there was still enough time to remove the trees from a ruling favorable for the municipality for the breeding season (15 March).
This is a robbery
Chairman Jan Pieter Janse speaks of a robbery and wants to make a report against the municipality. According to him, the Legal Department was already aware of the request at the Council of State last week.
Opponents of the tree fell in the course of the morning by chance behind the work yesterday. Tree-protection lady Kiki arrived as one of the first, when the trees were already flat. She shouted powerlessly at justice and said she had personally informed one of the councilors at the weekend.
Square
The trees had to be flat to create space (and light) for a new public square. The municipality has wanted to construct this for a few years in the context of the redesign of the city center. Eight trees remain.
The conduct of the municipality did not prevent the foundation from going to court again later in the morning. This time in an attempt to prevent the cutting of 92 trees on the Zernikelaan.
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