Community outraged at tree felling

EASTMANS Spar issued a statement dispelling the notion that the four trees cut down on Thursday were to “better the view” for restaurants at the top of the Ashley Road complex. “We would like to point out that this is absolutely not true,” the supermarket giant said on its Facebook page.

Irate Durban North residents took to Facebook to express their disdain for the felling of the four Durban Mahogany trees. According to Eastmans, despite the trees being indigenous, they were not trees that were suitable for a parking lot.

“Their weak branches have a tendency to drop on the vehicles below creating a safety and a liability issue,” they said in a statement.

They added that they had sought permission from the municipality to remove the trees and will be planing new trees, suitable to the area.

“We will be replacing the four trees that are being removed with eight more suitable indigenous trees. We will also be removing all invasive alien trees that have been discovered on the property.”

The team added that their ethos of an environmentally-conscious, family run business that cares for people and the environment was a strong motivator. They added that the entire surrounds of Eastmans will be getting a complete indigenous revamp that will add greater value to its environment. We hope this clarifies our position. ”