Palma City Council cuts down the bellasombra trees in Llorenç Villalonga Square: "It's a disgrace"

PalmThe City Council cut down the 18 beautiful shade trees in Llorenç Villalonga Square this Thursday morning. Despite the complaints, demonstrations and administrative appeals From the neighbors and entities, Cort, which on Tuesday received judicial authorization from the Administrative Court number 4 of Palma, has decided to cut them down.

On Thursday, dozens of people gathered to try to stop the tree felling, but ultimately they were unsuccessful. A heavy police presence, forming a cordon, prevented residents from accessing the wooded area to stop the felling. Thus, the residents could only watch helplessly from behind the barrier as the workers cleared the entire area of vegetation. "It's a disgrace," "it's murder," "there's no transparency"... and other cries accompanied the felling from the very beginning. The residents arrived with candles, as if it were a funeral for the "completely unjustified" death of these trees.

This brings to a close a highly controversial issue that has pitted local residents against the Palma City Council in recent weeks. Sources at the City Hall maintain that the decision to cut down these trees was made because they "pose a risk of falling," a claim the residents dispute. They argue that if that were the reason, "the tree's target area could be isolated to prevent anyone from being within striking distance of any falling branches." Furthermore, they assert that after the residents' response and their request to know the actual risk of falling branches, the City Council merely stated that "municipal reports exist" warning of a safety risk, without providing their contents. "When an action is irreversible, affects mature urban trees, and generates significant public outcry, transparency is not a courtesy, it's an obligation," the residents declared.

When the court ruling was made public, the residents explained to ARA Baleares that they would appeal, as it was based solely on reports submitted by the City Council itself. However, the Palma City Council's swift action has prevented the ruling from reaching the courts. Nevertheless, the residents emphasize that "the beautiful shade structures were not replaceable street furniture: they are mature green infrastructure and part of our climate heritage."

It must be remembered that in 2024 exactly the same situation occurredWhen Palma City Council announced it would cut down the trees, it caused a major outcry from local residents, forcing the council to halt the felling. However, the courts later ruled in their favor, and the council proceeded to cut down these beautiful shade trees in the square.

Residents raise their voices at the Palma City Council meeting

Hours after the felling of 18 beautiful shade trees in Plaça de Llorenç Villalonga, residents of the Calatrava neighborhood stormed into Palma City Hall to protest the action taken by the council. Those who arrived at the building carried branches they had already cut from the trees and entered shouting "shame." There was also some tension when Vox councilor Fulgencio Coll defended the felling.