Restaurant owners admit ‘mistake’ after felling dozens of trees

The owners of a restaurant in South Lanarkshire have admitted they “made a mistake” when they felled dozens of trees for a possible car park extension.

The trees were cut down in the grounds of the Osprey in Strathaven Road, East Kilbride, which is currently being done up by the Birk family, who recently purchased the site.

Members of the local community reacted angrily to the news on social media, with one poster pointing out the woodland included an oak tree that was more than 100 years old.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the Birk family admitted it had been the “wrong decision” to remove the trees, and said they were replanting young trees on the site and “bringing in a landscape architect”.

“We’re sorry we got this wrong,” the statement read.

“We have to hold up our hands and say we made a mistake in clearing the wooded area in front of the restaurant.

“The intention was to open up the space at the front and possibly extend the car park in future.

“There were no tree preservation orders and the restaurant is not in a conservation area but we know this is not an excuse for the insensitive call to take away the trees.

“We have spoken with planning and with forestry who are coming back to us, and apologise unreservedly for any errors in procedure.”

South Lanarkshire Council confirmed the trees were not subject to tree preservation orders, but that “in some cases felling permission may be required from Scottish Forestry”.

In a statement, Scottish Forestry said no “felling permission” had been in place, and that it had opened up an investigation.

Photographs of the site on social media show an area covered in tree stumps and chippings, with one image showing a yellow digger and other construction vehicles parked on it.

The Birk family, who also own the award-winning Malletsheugh restaurant in Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, said they they hoped to be able to repair relations with the community.

“We hope you will all give us another chance, to show you who we really are and what we hope to bring to the local community,” the statement said.

“We work closely with the community in Mearns and hope to do so with you in East Kilbride.

“We never wanted to upset or offend anyone and we are happy to work with local conservation and heritage enthusiasts and organisations to help educate us and others so they don’t make the mistake we did.

“We would be more than happy to meet with anyone who wants to address concerns in person and see how we can work together to put this right and ensure we are helping enrich the local community.”

East Kilbride MSP Collette Stevenson said she had approached the council and Birk family for further detail about the tree-felling.

In a statement on social media, she wrote: “My office has today asked both the chief executive of South Lanarkshire Council, as well as the owners of The Osprey, for clarification on who instructed the works, if permission was sought beforehand, and what the reasons are behind the mass tree clearance at this site.

“Given the public interest, it’s vitally important to establish the facts, and to verify what happens next.”

Fraser Carlin, head of planning & regulatory services at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “We are aware of the felling of trees on this area of private land and the council has received a number of inquiries about it from councillors, local residents and other interested parties.

“I can confirm that the trees were not the subject of tree preservation orders and so no permission was needed or granted. However, we can advise that in some instances felling permission may be required from Scottish Forestry.”

A Scottish Forestry spokesperson said: “We take all reports of alleged unauthorised felling very seriously.

“There is no felling permission in place for this work so we have now opened up an investigation and today visited the site for inspection.

“Now that an investigation has been opened it would not be appropriate to comment further on this case until it is concluded and next steps decided.”