A council slammed for cutting down trees has come under fire again for butchering palm trees thought to have been attracting late-night sexual antics.
Plymouth City Council has been accused of felling several palm trees in Hoe Park near the city's waterfront, after claims the area was being used for sex and drug-taking.
The authority, which caused uproar in March after contractors cut down 110 mature trees while residents slept, said the work was "necessary" in order to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Council bosses have now apologised for not notifying locals about the work, with the Labour-majority authority claiming it was done by Tory predecessors before this month's elections.
One resident told Plymouth Live: “I was shocked to take my usual stroll on the Hoe and see a whole lot of palm trees now cut down around the shelter there.
“Plymouth now has a very bad press across the country after the despicable felling of the trees in Armada Way against public opposition.
“Does the council not realise that a huge amount of people are traumatised by what happened and further with the sight of the huge tree pile? Yet I wake up to see yet more unnecessary felling of trees.”
The person, who called the palms “stunning”, said the removal of shrubs would merely relocate anti-social behaviour elsewhere and said: “Those causing the problems will simply move elsewhere.
“The problem needs to be addressed at root cause level, not moved on.
“These palms were stunning. Adding to biodiversity for sure plus, as all island and seaside people know, they are the best at dissipating wind.
“The sound of the wind in palm leaves is unique and was something to be enjoyed by all.”
A council spokesperson said: “The area around the Belvedere shelter has suffered from growing anti-social behaviour, with council officers regularly having to clean up sex and drug paraphernalia.”
The spokesperson added: “As part of our regular programme of maintenance, and following feedback from the community, including local groups, we have been keen to clean-up this space on the Hoe and make it more welcoming and safe for both residents and visitors.
“Over the past few years we have already carried out improvement works on two other shelters, which has received positive feedback.
“In the latest works, carried out on the final shelter on April 23, we removed large shrubs, including cabbage palms.”
The council stressed new plants would be installed.
The spokesperson said: “We will be replacing them with planting that has improved biodiversity benefits and provides a better home to bees and bugs.
“Works were carried out in consultation with an ecologist, who confirmed that there were no birds nesting.
“We apologise to the Hoe Neighbourhood Forum that we did not keep them up-to-date with the detail of these works. Community engagement will be a priority moving forward.”
Any removal of trees is now an issue for the council following the destruction of city centre trees to make way for a, now stalled, £12.7m regeneration of Armada Way.
