Rose Hill “tree massacre” plans undermine mayor’s planting initiative, say campaigners

Residents near Rose Hill in Bessacarr have continued their opposition to plans for 121 homes on the green space which were approved last year, stating that they undermine Doncaster Council’s latest green campaign.

The plans by Miller Homes were first rejected by councillors in March, after which the application was resubmitted with almost identical plans.

In November, the planning committee approved the plans in a U-turn after a discussion from which the public and press were excluded.

Residents and local councillors had opposed the plans due to the site being home to several hundred trees and biodiverse woodland habitats.

Locals formed the Rose Hill Residents’ Association (RHRA), who continue their campaign to overturn the plans before construction begins.

Next week, the council is holding a giveaway of hundreds of trees as part of Mayor Ros Jones’ initiative to plant one million trees by 2031.

Members of the RHRA have expressed anger over the initiative taking place while trees are set to be destroyed on Rose Hill.

Richard Farthing, Chairman of the RHRA, said:

“We fully support the mayor’s tree-planting initiative. In fact many residents, including myself, have signed up for a free tree because we know how important it is to protect the trees we have and plant more.

“We don’t understand though how allowing Miller Homes to destroy 100s of already grown trees and woodland on Rose Hill can possibly help tackle the climate crisis.

“It seems to us that council planners working for Mayor Jones don’t share her views on the importance of trees in tackling climate change, or the value of wildlife habitat in protecting biodiversity.”

“Neither planners nor Miller Homes appear to know how many trees will be destroyed by this development and they don’t seem to care.

“At the recent appeal hearing, when the inspector asked them why they hadn’t counted the trees on site, they said it was because it was too difficult. But what’s difficult about counting the number of trees growing on a field?”

Tree experts have since conducted surveys on behalf of the RHRA, counting around 1,000 trees on the site.

RHRA member Wendy Wright added: “The trees and woodland on Rose Hill have a lot of value, not just to wildlife and in tackling the climate emergency but also to local people who enjoy walking in this beautiful green space.”

Resident Derek Brook added: “There’s a tree just over the other side of our fence that we’ve watched grow from a sapling into a large beautiful tree over the past 30 or so years. They could easily protect this tree, but like all the other trees, they don’t care about it and will have it chopped down.

Miller Homes have defended the plans, noting that they incorporate 35 percent green open space and street tree planting.

A Bessacarr resident is set to launch legal action against the council with aim to reverse the application, claiming that they failed to follow its Local Plan.