THEY have stood for more than a century, providing a Glasgow parks with its lungs while also offering shelter from the rain and shade when the city enjoys sunshine. 

But now people in the south side have raised objections over the “senseless” felling of ancient trees in one of the city’s most popular parks as part of a council flood prevention project.

Campaigners are angry that 20 trees have already gone in King’s Park, with up to 100 expected to be removed, including 150-year-old yews and oaks.

Those removed near a gate included two limes, and two oaks, all of which were 150 years old.

But the campaigners are also concerned that four of 200-year-old “heritage trees” may have been removed by a separate contractor for financial gain. The timber from old-growth trees is said to be rare, and increasingly, commercially valuable.

Glasgow City Council, which is overseeing the project, said trees had to be removed in two areas of the park to protect property from damage. In one instance, trees close to a B-listed boundary wall were “creating a risk of collapse and danger to the public”.

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Now a residents’ group is trying to win preservation orders on dozens of trees that are at least 100 years old, fearing any more felling “would be the end of King’s Park”.

Kevin Brown, of the Aikenhead House Residents’ Association, said: “We are not trying to stop the drainage project from going ahead, but to mitigate the damage.

“ If a few choice trees in public parks are being felled here and there to make money, then that is incredibly upsetting and it must be stopped.”

Construction works partly in King’s Park is understood to have begun in mid-July after a plan for a new flood prevention infrastructure in south east Glasgow was given the go-ahead.

The project involves a scheme to prevent surface water flooding by implementing rain gardens, which will capture rainfall run-off from the road. 

The residents’ group says the scheme is intended to protect homes and businesses from flooding in the case of extreme rainfall that may be experienced once in 200 years, in line with Scottish Government requirements.

Its application says: “There is a preponderance of oaks, limes, beeches, sycamores, horse chestnuts and yews in King’s Park.

“As well, there are a great many exotic ‘specimen trees’, popular plantings in the late 18th century and beyond, including cypress, purple beech, red chestnut and monkey puzzle trees.

“While the Glasgow parks department has made efforts over the years to plant new trees, these young trees don’t interfere materially with the sense that visitors take away with them that King’s Park resembles a Regency period private park.

“In light of the fact King’s Park will be losing a minimum of 51 trees in connection with the flood prevention project, some 150 years old, it certainly seems ‘expedient in the interest of amenity’ to protect at least the surviving 100-year-old trees surrounding Aikenhead House.”

On Thursday, the group is hosting a musical concert protest in the park to support the protection of the heritage trees. A circular to supporters says it will “lament the loss of our ancient trees in Kings Park, now being felled for Glasgow council”. 

Campaigners are being asked to bring their own picket signs “telling Glasgow City Council what you think” and adds: “Help us to send a message that the senseless felling of ancient trees in public parks has to stop now”.

Mr Brown said of the felling that has already happened:  “We want to know who approved this sacrilege, and why these heritage trees have been felled? This has seriously damaged the park’s historical integrity. We are in the middle of a climate emergency, so why is Glasgow council allowing the casual felling of old growth trees, the most effective carbon sinks we have?”

A tree survey report in relation to the flood alleviation scheme for the council by engineering company Aecom said the default position “must be that higher-quality trees be retained and protected”.

But it accepted that in some cases it may also be feasible to “remove trees of this quality where there is no reasonable alternative and where the benefit of the development outweighs the impact of the loss of the trees”.

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A council spokesman said it would be creating a new woodland on the park’s former golf course, which will lead to a nett increase of trees in the area.

He said: “Work is also being undertaken to deal with the recurrent threat of flooding at neighbouring homes that comes with rainwater run-off from the park. The project involves the construction of a basin and a drainage channel that will allow for the collection and controlled release of rainwater, which has required trees to be removed.

“We want to minimise as far as possible the number of trees being removed as part of the project to prevent flooding in the area. Overall, the council plants about 7,000 trees every year.”