Plymouth trees debacle fells council leader

Richard Bingley quits

Opposition groups on Plymouth City Council have welcomed reports that Tory leader Richard Bingley is to resign.

The councillor for Southway has said he will step down as leader of the council and the Tory group on Monday 27 March.

Cllr Bingley has been under pressure to go after using an executive order to axe 129 trees on Armada Way.  The move led to public outcry and was halted after the ‘Save the Trees of Armada Way’ (STRAW) group issue an injunction but 110 trees had already been felled. 

Cllr Bingley has headed the council for a year after former leader Nick Kelly - who now leads the Independent Alliance - was ousted in a vote of no confidence.  

But in a move echoing Cllr Kelly's removal from the leader's job last year, Cllr Bingley was facing two votes of no confidence at next week’s full council meeting after some councillors, including Cllr Kelly, condemned how the tree felling was handled. 

Responding to the news of Cllr Bingley’s pending resignation, Labour leader and councillor for Ham, Tudor Evens said: “This is yet another chapter in the ongoing chaos, backstabbing and infighting of the Conservative group and their colleagues in the Independent Group in Plymouth. 

“Plymouth Labour councillors are a united group with an ambitious plan for our wonderful city which we are out talking to residents about every single day. 

“Tomorrow we will be publishing our plan for the greening of the city centre, an exciting vision which we look forward to getting started on should we take control of the council in May.”

Cllr Kelly added: “The Independent Alliance councillors are pleased to hear that Cllr Bingley has resigned from the position of leader of PCC. 

“As a direct result of our impending motion on Monday at full council, calling for him to resign, he has acknowledged his position has become untenable.

“The Independent Alliance councillors will continue to work hard, putting the interests of the people of Plymouth first.”

St Budeaux Green councillor George Wheeler, who had proposed a motion of no confidence in the Conservative leader, said: “After the disastrous handling of the Armada Way scheme, Councillor Bingley has made the only acceptable decision to resign.”

“However, this matter is not closed. The people of Plymouth deserve transparency and accountability from their elected representatives.“

Chaddlewood councillor Lauren McLay added: “The Green Party have called for a full and independent review into how decisions were made, and the use of executive powers which were ultimately used by the council leader to fell the trees.

“We believe that moving to a committee system of Local government would give the people of Plymouth a better, and more democratic distribution of decision-making powers from their council.”

Green leader Ian Poyser, who also serves Chaddlewood agreed, saying: “We’ve always been supportive of creating a thriving city centre which everyone can be proud of. This could have been achieved without the loss of so many trees and without causing so much damage to our city’s reputation.”

Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport said: "Richard Bingley was left with no option but to resign after his disastrous handling of the Armada Way trees scandal.

"Felling over 100 trees without proper public consultation was an act of environmental vandalism. The sole responsibility lies with Bingley for ordering the chainsaws in and the Tory council for signing it off.

"Bingley’s resignation is only the latest chapter of Tory instability plaguing Plymouth City Council after Nick Kelly’s suspension last year.”

Cllr Bingley earlier defended the executive order to cut down the trees as part of the £12.7 million redevelopment of Armada Way and called for an independent public inquiry which would focus on the decision making process and the involvement of other political parties.  

The Tory group had become a minority administration after several councillors left to become Independents.  Conservatives currently have 23 seats, Labour 25, Independent Alliance five, Greens three and other independents one.