Locals in a scenic seaside town are furious after iconic palm trees were felled by the council.
The trees were cut down in the Italian Gardens in Torquay, and used to look out over Torre Abbey Sands. Planted in 1924, the gardens have been popular feature of a town for years.
They are being restored to celebrate their 100th anniversary next year – but locals have been left furious that the trees were felled as part of the process. The council says the trees “showed significant signs of decline”.
Locals said the palms, which have stood in in the Italian Gardens on Torquay’s seafront, have welcomed visitors to the “English Riviera” for a century.
One described the loss of them as “soul-destroying”, while others said they were “disgusted” and “devastated”.
One visitor to the Spotted Torquay Facebook page posted: “Trees are special for all sorts of reasons! Those palms are synonymous with Torbay.” Another added: “Absolutely beyond words for the total destruction. How can they justify doing this?”
Another wrote: “There is no scenario or even universe, where felling palm trees is a good thing. Soulless council unfit for purpose.”
A Torbay Council spokesperson said the gardens are “a recognised historical and cultural element of the English Riviera”, and form a major part of the natural landscape on Torquay seafront.
Over the last 20 years, the spokesman added, they have “significantly degraded” and are no longer laid out and planted in the original way.
They continued: “With the 100th anniversary of the gardens being next year, it felt timely to make the changes.
“This did unfortunately mean the removal of the palm trees, which after inspection showed significant signs of decline.”
The garden will be transformed over the winter and into the spring. More planting has been promised by the council and SWISCo, a company the council owns to provide services to the bay. A sundial and fountain lost more than 40 years ago will also be replaced.
Councillor Adam Billings, Cabinet member for Pride in Place at Torbay Council, told BBC News that the felling was done in “not the best way” and “it came as a surprise to me”.
“But, actually what the council was seeking to do is what the community wanted,” he said.
The garden will be transformed over the winter and into the spring.
