A BID to axe mature trees in the Grassmarket as part of a £6 million revamp has sparked protests.
The city council is set to remove five poplar trees from the central area and replace them with large oak and lime ones.
Experts have found that there is some decay in the trees and they could only last a few more years.
But local residents sa
id they were "horrified" by the plans, as they had been promised the trees would be kept. They said there was no good reason to remove them now, and they could live another ten or 20 years.
Several of the poplar trees were replaced in April by mature oak and lime trees from Germany. The next five will be removed in September.
Janet Dick, who lives and works in the Grassmarket, said: "This takes no account of the residents' wishes. There are no good reasons for any trees to be removed in the Grassmarket.
"Poplars are not considered the tree of choice by many arboricultural experts, but the people who live here like these trees and want to keep them. They give the Grassmarket character and should be left alone."
She said more than 40 people had attended a recent residents' meeting, with most calling for the trees to be saved. Another meeting for residents and traders to discuss the issue is planned for Wednesday.
Councillor Joanna Mowat, who represents the city centre and chairs the Grassmarket Forum, said she could understand people's concerns. She said: "There is a very vocal minority of people who do not want to see the trees replaced. It can be a very emotive issue, and people do get very attached to the trees.
"The problem is, no-one can say how much life the trees have in them. They could go tomorrow, or they could last another 20 years. The expert opinion is they probably don't have a long time left.
"It's a very hard decision. There are potential safety issues. There is money in the kitty at the moment to pay for the project, but there may not be in a few years' time."
Many traders in the Grassmarket are taking a pragmatic view.
Bill Cowan, who runs Costume HaHa, said he was pleased with the trees that had been planted in April and welcomed the move.
He said: "Most of us are quite happy about it. We realise it's better to replace the trees now. This way it will cost £6000 a piece, whereas it could cost £18,000 if we wait for ten years.
"The trees put in in April have already grown several feet now."
He said the new paving in the Grassmarket meant it was unsuitable for poplar trees, as they would not get enough water, and limes would be a better option.
A council spokeswoman said it would be removing four or five of the poplars in September. These will be replaced by mature trees, imported from Germany, as soon as possible afterwards.
She said: "Our biologists and independent tree surgeons have looked at the trees and found that, internally, they are in a state of decay. They're not going to last more than a few years and will need to be replaced anyway.
"The new ones will be mature trees, although they will not be exactly the same."
The full article contains 565 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
