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To: Southampton City Council

Protect Southampton's Marlhill Copse

To make it a requirement that planning applications for any tree-works at Marlhill Copse need the approval of the full City Council.

Why is this important?

Southampton airport wants to fell and reduce the height of trees at Marlhill Copse in order to allow shallower take off to the south. This will cause increased noise and nuisance to the whole of Southampton.

In 2019 there was a High Court injunction protecting Marlhill Copse from any tree-works, but solicitors from both the airport and city council managed to overturn this on 2 July. The airport were due to submit a planning application to demolish around 20 large pines and hope it could be approved by a single Council officer with the minimum of formal public consultation. The planning panel has effectively agreed to a total of 219 trees having their height reduced - 93 trees by more than 10 metres.

Marlhill Copse is a conservation area with Tree Preservation Orders. It is vital that any request for felling or crown-reduction is subject to the utmost scrutiny and that decision-making is absolutely transparent. There should be the fullest public consultation as it would be absurd to demolish the very carbon-capturing organisms that a Green City should be cherishing . The fate of Marlhill Copse is too important to be delegated to an officer or the planning panel.

Marlhill Copse is a whole-city issue. It needs a whole-city response.

If you can pledge to a fighting fund please email:
[email protected]

For updates please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/protect-marlhill-copse/home

Southampton, UK

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2019-05-01 23:55:47 +0100

1,000 signatures reached

2019-05-01 17:23:09 +0100

500 signatures reached

2019-04-22 20:58:48 +0100

100 signatures reached

2019-04-22 10:37:11 +0100

50 signatures reached

2019-04-21 09:58:32 +0100

25 signatures reached

2019-04-21 07:40:38 +0100

10 signatures reached