Asda reacts to outrage at trees in Walsall being felled 'like tombstones' at the back of the supermarket in a town centre
Supermarket giant Asda has responded to outrage from residents in a Walsall town centre where trees were felled
Residents in Darlaston town centre were appalled to see nine trees felled in Darlaston last weekend.
Only the tree trunks remain on King Street at the back of Asda in the town centre.
Asda said the trees, which were on land owned by the supermarket, were removed for ‘health and safety reasons’ as they were ‘overgrown and lifting the pavement’.
It added that all the roots and stumps will eventually be removed and the pavement re-laid.
The removal of the trees sparked anger from the community, who aired concerns about wildlife, loss of bird habitat, and the remaining stumps looking like ‘tombstones’ in the heart of the town.
The trees were located just a few metres outside of Darlaston’s Conservation Area. Asda said it did contact the council prior to the works taking place.
The loss of greenery marks another blow for Darlaston, which was identified as ‘struggling the most, by far’ compared to other district centres in the borough of Walsall.
The statement was made as part of a review into all the district centres across Walsall to identify areas of improvement.
A spokesperson for Asda said: “We recently had to carry out some essential maintenance at our Darlaston store for health and safety reasons. Relevant guidelines were closely followed, as is always the case when we carry out landscaping work at any of our stores.”
