Wicklow Green TD intervenes to save protected Oak tree
Steven Matthews, on Vevay Road, Bray.
Wicklow Green Party TD Steven Matthews had to intervene to save a tree in Bray after a call from resident alerted him it was under threat. It wasn’t just any old tree, but an Oak tree that was protected under a Tree Preservation Order.
“Early on bank holiday Monday morning (March 19), I was out for a cycle when I got a call from a Bray resident about work being carried out on an old Oak tree in the Vevay area," Deputy Matthews recounted .
“This resident has been a great protector of this particular tree over the years and I had worked with residents to get a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on this tree when I was a councillor. They called me to ask if I could help stop the work on the tree.
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“I was able to dig out the TPO map for Bray and send it to them. The Gardaí were informed and with the backing of a TPO and map the works were stopped. It was a great result that stemmed from the existing documentation showing the protection of the tree. Without it, the works would have continued.
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“A TPO is about the only protection for trees in urban areas,” Deputy Matthews explained. “We need more TPOs or other better protections for our urban trees. All trees need managing from time to time but a TPO means you need to obtain permission from the council before carrying out any work on a protected tree.
“I have a piece of legislation going through the Oireachtas process that would make better TPOs and allow councillors to designate areas locally important for ecology (LIFE sites). The process is very slow but I hope it will eventually pass and offer better protection to trees in urban environments.
“When I worked to get the TPO for this old Vevay Oak many years ago, I didn’t know when we would need to rely on it but that day arrived and similar situations are likely to arise for other much loved trees in Bray and other towns across Wicklow,” he concluded.
