Shoreham: Activists win fight to save poplar tree being felled

The campaigners have occupied the poplar by staying in a treehouse in it for 250 consecutive days since August last year.

Now Hyde Housing, a housing association which provides affordable homes in the South East, has relented and altered its plans.

The tree, next to the A259 Brighton Road in Shoreham, was due to be cut down to make way for the development which will have shops on the ground floor as well as 159 flats.

The treehouse pictured in August last year

There will now be less commercial space and eight of the apartments will be relocated on the brownfield former civic centre site.

Darcy Harrison, campaigner for the group Shoreham Poplar Front, said: “We are delighted that Adur District Council and Hyde have responded to our protest and tree-occupation.

“This compromise design saves the poplar tree from being felled while delivering the same number of dwellings on the site.

Darcy Harrison is one of many who have campaigned for the tree to remain

“There was no justification for removing this tree. It was on the corner of the plot and they could easily reconfigure the design. We argued there was no need to fell it. It is perfectly healthy.

“We are happy this point was accepted, it was argued against quite often by the developers.

“This is a win-win outcome for the housing association, the council and our local community who will continue to benefit from cleaner air, better drainage and biodiversity in Brighton Road with this mature tree left standing.

“We hope this serves as a good example to other councils and planning authorities of what can be achieved through positive engagement with tree-saving activist groups.”

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The group said planning systems around the country “don’t give enough value to trees and the ecosystems that depend on them”.

Adur District Council has held several meetings with the community and worked with Hyde Housing to come up with new proposals.

Steve Neocleous, the council’s cabinet member for regeneration and strategic planning, said: “Our officers spent lots of time talking with protesters to listen to their concerns and I was pleased to have spent some time with them too as well as the local community as a whole.

The 19-metre tree pictured in August last year

“We have taken on board how important this tree is to them and then asked Hyde to go back to the drawing board to find a way to save it.

“And thankfully we have found a way to do that as well as provide much-needed social housing for local people. This brownfield site is perfect for delivering such an important project.

Hyde Housing confirmed it was still planning to plant 20 trees on the development, the same number as it proposed when the poplar tree was due to be axed.

Steven Morrice, group director of development and sales at Hyde, said: “The new development will provide much-needed, highly energy-efficient new homes for local people.

“We intend to seek approval for the changes through a variation to the approved scheme.”