An investigation has been ordered into why contractors cut a historic green wall back to its roots in Madeira Drive on Brighton seafront.
Brighton and Hove City Council leader Phélim Mac Cafferty said that he had approved the investigation into why workers cut back the green wall at Duke’s Mound so severely.
And a review of how the decisions were made is to be considered by the council’s Audit and Standards Committee.
The Green council leader gave details of the investigation at a virtual meeting of the Policy and Resources (Recovery) Sub-Committee this afternoon (Wednesday 28 April).
The move follows an outcry across social media platforms – and a ceremonial funeral for the green wall.
Councillor Mac Cafferty said that the excessive pruning had not been approved by councillors.
He said: “Most importantly, our focus has been on how the teams on the ground can rapidly scale up work to revive the greenery on this section of the wall.
“My fellow councillor Jamie Lloyd has met with Building Green – and their expertise and positive contribution is invaluable.
“A series of actions are being undertaken to help revive the plant life and we will, of course, be monitoring this extremely closely and pushing for updates to all councillors.
“Needless to say, however, we are profoundly disappointed that this happened and we are determined to act to uphold the high environmental standards our city expects and deserves.
“That means now we are developing a future management plan for the whole of the wall in liaison with Building Green.”
The council’s executive director for the economy, environment and culture Nick Hibberd apologised for what happened.
He said that a proposal to cut back the vegetation had been included in the detailed plans for the revamp of Black Rock after a road safety audit.
But he said that the cutback was “excessive” and that officers had not consulted councillors and stakeholders as they should have.
He said that the decision-making and sign-off for the pruning would be looked at as part of a full audit investigation into what had happened.
Mr Hibberd: “The review will identify if there are any contractual issues that need to be addressed or whether any planning or wildlife rules were broken when this happened.
“The outcomes of the review will be reported to the councillors through the Black Rock cross-party project board.”
He said that the Building Green voluntary group should have been consulted and the project team had since been spoken with.
The fig bush and Japanese spindle were resilient plants, Mr Hibberd said, and regrowth had started already.
cultural, historical and environmental vandalism.
‘Regrowth has already begun’ right, he’s aware that the wall has grown over 150 years?
the whole thing is a farce and the rot starts at the top. Pghlem.
Off you waddle.
Geoff Raw CEO is ultimately responsible and should go. It happened on his watch – negligence and carelessness of the highest order – a reflection of wider issues in the administration. He should be gone by now. Phelim should ask for his resignation.
Interesting council item from 2014 –
“Last year the council designated the green wall a local wildlife site, ensuring its continued protection as the only site of its kind in the UK.”.
https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/news/2014/council-starts-work-preserve-one-longest-green-walls-britain
Criminal charges should be brought against the Council. Who will be responsible?
Not the Greens.
They make sure that everyone else is responsible when it goes wrong.
The rot has taken them over and we are left with the stench.
BHCC investigating themselves is akin to a fox being trusted to investigate a hen house invasion.
Any integrity at all and an independent investigator would be dealing with this with no council connections and free reign to investigate.
Notwithstanding,BHCC have admitted they deliberately cut down the Green Wall because they were considering putting a cycle lane on Duke’s Mound exit (irrespective of whether destoying the Green Wall was necessary to establish the feasibility of so doing. And oddly enough it didn’t make the road wide enough after all!)
There was no trimming here. Trimming is what had been done for 150 years. This was a deliberate attempt to destroy entire Green Wall section and the roots would have gone too had there not been a danger of a wall collapse as a result.
The only mystery as far as the public are concerned is WHO ordered these works and WHOSE head should therefore be on the chopping block? And also jailed for Wildlife Crime.
The Greens have exposed themselves as the watermelons they are. Green on the outside, red on the inside.
Uninstall them NOW!
We will investigate ourselves – like home to school transport? And then when you did get an independent barrister in the report was so damning you made it secret. Investigations by this council are a farce nothing will change, no one will be blamed and we will continue with this ‘yeah but, no but’ politics. An utter shambles.
it was not a “fig bush” it was a fully fledged TREE that was harming no one….