Council defends way it planned the Armada Way tree removal

DOCUMENTS REVEAL 'A MILITARY-STYLE' OPERATION TO COUNTER PROTESTS

- ANDY PHILLIPS

A MILITARY-style operation to remove more than 100 trees from Armada Way was co-ordinated by Plymouth City Council with a focus on keeping protesters at bay and avoiding challenge, documents submitted to the High Court reveal.

While the judicial review into the decision to fell the trees was dismissed by the High Court, documents and transcripts which formed part of the hearing showed meticulous pre-planning, days ahead of an executive decision by the then council leader.

The Herald has obtained documents submitted to the judicial review in a case against Plymouth City Council (PCC) brought by Alison White from campaign group Save the Trees of Armada Way (STRAW). They reveal:

• Discussions into setting up an exclusion zone for drones which could be operated by protesters to scrutinise the work - and a suggestion to "shoot them down";
• A cross-party agreement that there would be no "call-in" of the decision to remove the trees by the scrutiny committee, and that the decision would be given urgent status;
• Discussion into how much of a gap should be left between the then council leader's 'executive decision' and mobilisation of machinery without it being indicated that it was pre-planned;
• Unsubstantiated concerns that protesters would deliberately leave a 'suspect package' in the area as a way of preventing the work.

In response, PCC said: "In the lead-up to and during any major event or operation, it is appropriate for any organisation to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

But Ms White said it was 'shocking' that council officers could think protesters would consider turning up with a suspect package, or that police would be asked to shoot down a drone if one was used.

The documents also reveal a desire among some council figures to remove the trees, despite the concerns of thousands of residents who voiced opposition to the wholesale felling.