Debate contribution: Public Petition: Save Our Trees

Debate contribution by Mr Alan Chambers on 29 June 2026.

MLA: Mr Alan Chambers
Party at the time: Ulster Unionist Party
Date: 29 June 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Assembly Business
Heading: Public Petition: Save Our Trees
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5644611

Text

It is my pleasure and privilege to present a petition signed by more than 1,500 people calling on the Department for Infrastructure to drop plans to chop down a number of mature street trees in Main Street, Groomsport. Groomsport is a beautiful village with a strong community spirit. It is a perfect place to live, work or visit. It has two busy community groups that have volunteers out and about in the village, weekly, carrying out litter picks and tasks such as clearing weeds. The original Irish name for Groomsport meant "the port of the gloomy servant". It is now anything but gloomy. It is a bright and welcoming seaside resort; a vibrant village that regularly comes out on top in best-kept village competitions and has had many successes in Ulster in Bloom inspections. Indeed, in the past week, it has been adjudged to be the best-kept town on the island of Ireland. It has many outstanding characteristics, including three lovely beaches with clean and pollution-free bathing water; a well-sheltered harbour that is reputed to have been first constructed by the Vikings; a modern children's playground; and tennis courts. Many years ago, the community ensured that two remaining fishermen's cottages with thatched roofs were spared the demolition ball. They are now a tourist attraction that has displays of old artefacts of the period and hosts community activities during the summer months. The village is a haven for water sports, birdwatching, recreational walks and as a place to simply relax. A relatively recent piece of important character that was added to the village some years ago was the addition of a number of trees along Main Street. The variety of tree planted was chosen after great thought had gone into finding a member of the maple tree family that was considered to be best suited to withstand the storms and conditions that proximity to the sea can bring. They have matured into healthy trees that give the village a continental feel, especially when the sun shines. In the past five years, the Department has received a few complaints about damage to footpaths that is allegedly caused by the trees' roots. One householder has raised concerns that the tree closest to their home is causing dampness to their property. That will have to be fully investigated. The Department's approach to the problem, however, has been to fire up the chainsaws. That is a shameful and unacceptably lazy plan. There are many engineering solutions that do not involve such crude environmental vandalism. Government policy, rather than to chop down healthy mature specimens, is to encourage more tree planting. The petition's message is clear:
"We the undersigned strongly object to the proposal from the Department for Infrastructure to fell the trees along the Main Street in Groomsport."

463 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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