Michael Coy
The Spanish Labour Party (PSOE) has denounced the ‘massive felling of century-old pines’ by Marratxí council, which is made up of PP (conservative) and Vox (anti-immigration) party members.
According to the Socialists, the pines in Camí de Muntanya and Es Figueral have been felled unnecessarily. The PSOE regrets “that no alternative solutions are being sought for these fellings, as all prior actions should be exhausted before killing trees, especially these pines that provide so much ecological value.”
They also point out that “this lack of foresight is causing the inventory of trees of these characteristics to decline dramatically, and we are unaware of any compensatory planting being carried out, as was the case during our term, when three trees were planted for every one felled.”
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Given this situation, the Socialists are demanding to know “the reason for felling these trees” along with wanting to see the technical report that supports the felling decision.
“The residents have expressed their concern about these events, as removing trees is an environmental threat and because trees are very important elements when we consider the approach of summer and the weather alerts,” the political party states.
For its part, the Marratxí City Council assures everyone that the removal of these pine trees was ordered for a very good reason. The determination was arrived at after detecting serious problems with the streets’ asphalt, caused by root growth.
According to the Councillor for Parks and Gardens, Juan Antonio Estarellas, this decision was made following reports issued by the Local Police, the Department of the Environment, and a specialised company.
“The roots had lifted the pavement considerably, creating a real danger to traffic, especially for scooters, bicycles, and motorcycles,” he explained.
