At 7am on Thursday, Palma Town Hall workers began the felling of bellasombra trees in Plaça Llorenç Villalonga. Residents opposed to the felling staged a protest, demanding preservation of trees and calling for their greater protection in public areas.
On Tuesday, a court in Palma gave the green light to the town hall's operation, an appeal against the felling having been lodged by Amics de la Terra (Friends of the Earth). The court endorsed the arguments put forward by the town hall that were based on technical reports from the parks and gardens department.
The court stressed "the municipality's responsibility to guarantee public safety". The reports had concluded that the trees were in poor condition and were suffering from disease. The trees therefore posed a safety risk because of potential fall, especially during periods of strong winds or heavy rain.
The town hall points out that last year other bellasombra trees were replaced in the same square, a process that also had judicial approval. Following the removal of the 18 trees, 20 new ones will be planted immediately.