Dozens of new trees planted around Highbridge’s Apex Park have been damaged or stolen by vandals since the start of the year, angering council bosses behind the project.
Pete Grainger, Ecologist at Sedgemoor District Council, who is overseeing the project to plant hundreds of apple trees, has this week expressed his frustration at the “mindless” damage.
He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “It is very disappointing that this is happening when so much positive work by the community is going into improving the park.”
“We’ve seen around 12 trees snapped and damaged in recent days with a further dozen trees stolen.”
“A small minority of people have carried out this mindless damage but they won’t spoilt it for the majority.”
The district council, which manages Apex Park, has been planting hundreds of the apple trees besides the lakeside footpaths in recent months, as first featured here in January. It comes after the council was awarded over £1,000 towards the project from the Big Tree Plant funding scheme, run by the Forestry Commission.
Pete Grainger, Ecologist at Sedgemoor District Council, planting the trees
