Tree Sitting

At Blackwood Mill Near Darlington a group of Beech trees were threatened by the expansion of some private gardens. A request for an emergency tree preservation order was made but the council announced that it could not be considered until their next meeting. In the mean time 20 people camped out in the trees to help protect them. The police allowed them to stay there until the council, who in the end decided not to protect the trees, had made a decision. The tree houses were evicted during which three people were arrested. Although the threatened trees were lost, 29 other trees in the vicinity have had preservation orders placed on them as a result of the incident. On a brighter note, near Glastonbury a tree squat prevented the removal of a group of protected trees to make way for a private access road. Work was held up until the local authority stepped in to stop them being cut down. Direct action works!