Residents furious after greenery axed for worker access

ONE look at the street sign would tell you it's not the best place to wield a chainsaw.

Residents living in a normally leafy part of the Capital have cried foul after greenery was felled in the now not-so-aptly-named Arboretum Avenue.

The area, close to Inverleith Park, has been cleared of cherry trees and a privet hedge to allow workers to gain access for flood defence improvements.

The city council said the move had been agreed with local residents, but one homeowner said the area had been "annihilated".

Frances Ross, who lives nearby, said: "I asked them what on earth they were doing and they said they needed the area to park all their equipment.

"It's just unbelievable. It will take years for these trees to grow back.

"They have just hacked everything down without thinking. It's awful."

She also criticised contractors for cutting down trees along the Water of Leith itself.

She added: "They didn't have to cut down every single tree. Everyone of them has gone and there were really beautiful trees there."

The council said it needed to access the Water of Leith from Arboretum Avenue to prevent heavy construction traffic in the nearby Stockbridge Colonies.

A council spokesman said: "It has been necessary to remove some trees to facilitate construction of the vital flood defences which will protect the residents of the Colonies.

"A full programme of landscaping is included in the scheme to restore the area once flood defences have been built."

Stockbridge was badly affected by major floods in 2000 which caused an estimated 25 million worth of damage to around 600 homes and offices.

That deluge was the worst for 80 years and saw three walls along the Water of Leith collapse at Stockbridge, Bonnington and Canonmills. Roseburn and Murrayfield were also badly hit, as were Liberton, Peffermill and Duddingston.

Work is now finally getting under way on the defences after years of dispute between the city council and the Scottish Government over who should pay what for the improvements.

At first, the new anti-flood measures will be limited to Newhaven Road to Deanhaugh Street and Veitch's Square, with phase two later covering Roseburn and Murrayfield. Phase three will bolster defences from Balgreen to Longstone.

Although funding is in place for the second phase, no money has been secured for the third and timescales for either phase have yet to be announced.