Controversy as Carvoeiro trees are ‘decapitated’ without council’s awareness

“The work was not carried out, neither was it monitored, by the council’s garden maintenance department or any other council service”

Lagoa council will not accept blame for the excessive pruning of three trees in Carvoeiro, near the taxi rank, on Friday, March 17.

In a public statement on Facebook today (Saturday), Lagoa council refutes that the pruning of the trees, which was carried out by a local private gardening company, had been requested by the council.

“The work carried out on the trees near the Carvoeiro taxi rank, in Estrada do Farol, was not ‘ordered’ by the council.

“The work was not carried out, neither was it monitored, by the council’s garden maintenance department or any other council service.”

It went even further by saying that it had “no knowledge that the work had been carried out”.

“Thus, the council is currently investigating the circumstances that led to the work in a bid to determine who was responsible for what happened.”

As the Resident reported yesterday, the pruning of the three trees was totally “unexpected”. Residents and tourists expressed their “shock” via social media, describing it as an “environmental crime”, not only because the trees appeared “healthy” but because hundreds of birds would roost there.

People also lamented the loss of much-needed shade that the trees provided during the summer due to their impressive crowns, especially to those waiting for a taxi in the sun.

Videos showing the hundreds of birds  desperately looking for their ‘refuge’, at dusk, can be seen here and here.

By INÊS LOPES

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