New twist in Torquay palm trees row

Calls for 'transparent' public investigation

The row over Torquay’s disappearing palm trees has taken a fresh twist, with calls for a new and transparent investigation into exactly what happened.

Forty palms were felled in the Italian Gardens on Torquay seafront late last year as part of a revamp designed to celebrate the centenary of the gardens. Some of the trees had been there since the 1970s and were famous in seaside picture postcards.

SWISCo, the Torbay Council-owned company which manages the English Riviera’s parks and gardens, apologised for cutting down the palms without alerting the public first, but stressed that its remit meant it didn’t have to.

But there was a public outcry after the trees were felled, and the story of their demise made national headlines.

One visitor to the Spotted Torquay Facebook page posted: “Absolutely beyond words for the total destruction. How can they justify doing this?”

The council has explained that the felling is all part of a £30,000 project to transform the gardens for their centenary this year. Over the last 20 years the gardens are said to have ‘significantly degraded’ and are no longer laid out and planted in the original way.

They were sown with wildflower seeds to avoid having bare soil during the summer season, but now 1,600 new plants are being put there, including some new palms. A sundial and fountain that was lost more than 40 years ago will be replaced.

Some of the palms were said to have been in very poor condition.

In a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ page on its website, SWISCo explained: “The company was set up to deliver services for the council in a way that meant it did not need to ask formal permission to undertake works to parks and gardens, including replacement planting in Torbay.”

It also said that no council officers or current cabinet members were made aware, or gave any instruction around the commencement of the work. Four senior council officers, including its chief executive, are on the board of SWISCo.

The company says informal discussions took place with the community group Abbey Park Friends and the Torbay Chamber of Commerce four years ago.

It goes on: “Our error was not carrying out the work itself, but in failing to carry out a new consultation with the council prior to commencing the work.

“We have taken full responsibility for this error, together with the assurance that we will take on board the community’s comments as to how to create an Italian Garden Torbay can be proud of.”

When the council’s overview and scrutiny committee meets next week it will consider a ‘call for action’ from Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Steve Darling (Barton with Watcombe). It is thought to be the first time the procedure has been used in Torbay.

Cllr Darling wants the investigation into the tree felling to be reviewed, with discussion on how the decisions were made.

He said: “It’s about saying hang on, what really happened here?

“We know an internal investigation is underway, but let’s do this in a public and proper manner.

“We want this to be done in an open and transparent way, rather than seeing it play out over social media.”