We are asking Plymouth City Council to incorporate the existing and beautiful mature trees into their new refurbishment design and not destroy one of the best things about Plymouth city centre.

STRAW Plymouth - Save the TRees Of Armada Way

Plymouth City Council want to chop down almost every single mature tree on Armada Way as part of their new £12.7 million development and replace them with saplings which won't be mature for around 30 years.

We want them to reconsider. Follow us to stay up-to-date.

"These trees are the green lungs of our city."

The trees the council plan to plant will take decades to achieve anything like we have at the moment.

What can YOU do?

Firstly, please write to your councillors. This is the most important thing you can do, as they have the final say. If enough people voice their concerns, they might listen. If you aren't happy with the response then write again!

It sounds best in your own words, but if you aren't sure what to say, you can use template 1 or template 2 as a basis for your email.

It takes less than a minute to contact all of them in one go.

Write To Your Councillor

What are Plymouth people saying?

We have spoken to hundreds of people about this devastating loss to Plymouth - here is a selection of what they've said.

"Look how sterile the piazza looks in comparison to the rest of Armada Way. It was a travesty that the beautiful trees and shrubs were ripped out here. Now a wind tunnel to traverse in bad weather!"

Angela A.

"This is obscene. I haven't voted for this or been consulted upon it."

Sion D.

"After a summer of record high temperatures have they considered the impact the removal of the trees will have on temperatures in the city centre in the summer months and the impact on businesses in the area."

Rebecca W.

"Do the proposals take advice from the Forestry Commission Urban Tree Manual? (they don't)"

Dave C.

"I hate this obsession with 'a view' that will sacrafice the city's green heart and turn it into a souless wind tunnel with a view that no one stops for or cares about because WHO'S HANGING ABOUT AT NORTH CROSS STARING AT A DISTANT HORIZON?!"

Lizzi B.

"I love this part of town. You can hear the birds sing late at night......why does everything need to be sterile? This goes against everything we are trying to achieve for this planet!"

Selena W.

"Why do the council always design Plymouth with a blindfold on?"

Stewart B.

"How bland, generic and boring. Let's keep all the beautiful trees we already have."

Clare P.

"It needs more shade, not more sunbaked stones. Tiny attempts at trees will not help cool the urban environment. Keep the established trees!"

Mari F.

"They won't listen, they do what they want and never consult with the people of Plymouth. The people who pay their wages in a roundabout way. The people who vote them in. We should all get a chance to have our say on each new build or whatever they want to do. I hope the trees don't go, I've signed and shared the petition too."

Jennifer H.

"More concrete must be the environmentally friendly type!!! Why aren't these schemes put forward to the public for approval in a way that people can't miss it and not just advertised in a small ad somewhere."

Anthony W.

Our petition

We recently started this campaign with a petition, and so far, over 1,500 1,800 of you lovely people who don't want to see a wasteland in the heart of our city have signed it. If you haven't, please do as it shows the Council our strength of feeling, and it's an important route for us to be able to keep you up-to-date with what's going on.

Sign Our Petition

We can't do this without you

Sign our petition, write to your councillor, share on social media and do all you can to stop this damage to our beautiful city space. You can make all the difference.

Social media

Follow us here:

And please please share the link to this website - it will really help.

Get in touch

If you want to help us with our campaign, if you've noticed something happening on Armada Way that shouldn't be or you just want to say hello, email us.

strawplymouth​@gmail.com

We believe the council are greenwashing us

Here are examples of some of the things they've said

"We are increasing the biodiversity by 22%"

Plymouth City Council

We say: This biodiversity will only be achieved by the year 2052, 30 years in the future. Greenwash!

"To facilitate this plan, there will be an impact on the existing trees in the corridor."

Martin Ivatt, City Centre Regeneration Coordinator, Plymouth City Council

We say: Clearing every tree and shrub (bar one) from nearly 400 metres of an important urban park is a catastrophic impact.

"Almost half of the existing trees are damaging the built environment."

Armada Way Regeneration press statement, Plymouth City Council

We say: The figure of 42% which the council claims have or will cause minor damage to the built environment pertains to all 497 trees surveyed in the city centre. It is not a figure for the trees on Armada Way.

"The majority of trees on Armada Way are reaching the end of their healthy lifespans."

Armada Way Regeneration press statement, Plymouth City Council

We say:

"We will be moving some of the healthier mature trees to Forder Valley."

"Trees: Planting For Immediate Impact" poster, Plymouth City Council

We say: Only 17 of the smallest trees will be moved. It's very expensive to move larger trees, and by their own admission, they may not survive transplantation.

"Immediate impact: most with girths of 35 to 40 cm"

"Trees: Planting For Immediate Impact" poster, Plymouth City Council

We say: Less than a quarter will have this girth. Over three quarters of the new trees will have a diameter of less than 3 inches.

"Trees and woodland within Plymouth will be valued and cared for so they can play a fundamental role in the city's future."

Plymouth's Plan For Trees, Plymouth City Council

We say: We agree, Plymouth City Council. Honour your promise!

"Trees make the city look attractive, changing with every season and provide natural beauty weaving through the built environment."

Plymouth's Plan For Trees, Plymouth City Council

We say: You got it right then PCC - get it right now.

"Trees improve our own mental health and wellbeing and make us feel better about our city."

Plymouth's Plan For Trees, Plymouth City Council

We say: Yes, you're right PCC. Don't then rip down our existing trees.

"97 percent of Plymouth residents agreed that trees were an important feature of the city."

Plan For Trees consultation, 2018, Plymouth City Council

We say: So let's not rip down our beautiful trees and have to wait 30 years for the new saplings to grow.

"I want to see more nature and I am pleased that the council is looking at ways of making the city centre more nature-friendly. I am not always convinced that the best route to more nature is losing the nature we currently have though."

Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport

We say: We agree Luke. Why lose what we have as part of an irresponsible plan.

Posters

Download these posters, print them out and stick them in your window, car or on your favourite tree.