Aberystwyth University staff were left “heartbroken” after multiple healthy trees were felled alongside damaged ones in the wake of Storm Darragh.

One staff member contacted the Cambrian News describing the work as “unnecessary” after 30 trees on the Penglais campus were felled on 9 December, two days after the storm hit the country with winds reaching over 90mph.

The university however maintains that most of the trees or roots were “damaged and undermined, making them unsafe”, whilst “a small number of healthy trees also had to be removed to deal with the trees that posed a risk”.

The trees being felled on Penglais campus on 9 December
The trees being felled on Penglais campus on 9 December (Submitted)

The staff member wrote to the Vice-Chancellors, asking why alternative actions such as cropping or pollarding weren’t used to save the trees, some of which were 1m in diameter: “Today I heard chainsaws and assumed there was some tidying up happening after the storm.

“However, it seems that healthy trees are being cut down next to the temporary gym, and this is very alarming in the context of how many trees were lost in the storm.

“They appear to be minimally damaged, so it is hard to see the reasons for the sacrifice.

“The magnificent trees on the Aberystwyth University campus contribute to the campus' beauty and aesthetic, the wellbeing of staff and students alike, provide habitat for a multitude of species, store carbon, provide shade and shelter, reduce flooding, and demonstrate the university's commitment to mitigating climate change and boosting biodiversity.

“The university is lucky to have such mature and venerated trees on the campus, and these should be cared for and cherished, not cut down.

“If they represented a danger, they could be cut back or pollarded.

“Removal of the trees feels rash and can potentially negatively affect the wellbeing of the university community, as well as immediately increase the chance of flooding in the surrounding area.

“I know that many staff and students alike are distraught at this senseless and unnecessary destruction of nature.

“Today, my heart sank along with those trees.”

This whole copse of trees were felled following damage sustained by Storm Darragh
This whole copse of trees were felled following damage sustained by Storm Darragh (Submitted)

They also accused the university’s swift action being due to cost, as “millions of pounds worth of equipment” was in use that day, rather than due to safety concerns.

The university states that the small number of healthy trees felled needed to be taken down “to gain access” to the trees that were “a danger to life and limb”.

A spokesperson for the University said: “The unprecedented weather over the weekend brought down a number of trees on campus and the roots of others were damaged and undermined, making them unsafe.

“Having taken advice from health, safety and environmental experts here, as well as external contractors and advisors, we took the difficult but necessary decision to fell some trees that were compromised and posed a risk, including to life and limb.

“Rapid action was required in the immediate aftermath of Storm Darragh to ensure the safety of students, staff and visitors to campus, and infrastructure.

“Unfortunately, a small number of healthy trees have also had to be removed but this has been necessary in order to deal with the trees that pose a risk.

“The position of isolated lone trees that have become more vulnerable to future storms was also a consideration.

“No trees protected by Tree Preservation Order have been affected.”