COUNCIL chiefs have been accused of hypocrisy over threats to 15 trees in a South Side community.

Glasgow City Council plans to fell London plane trees in Niddrie Square, saying the trees are unsafe and must be removed.

But the local authority has no plans to replace the trees - a decision Green MSP Patrick Harvie says "beggars belief".

Mr Harvie said: "It beggars belief that just a few months after Glasgow City Council declared a climate and ecological emergency, Southsiders face seeing much-loved trees on their doorsteps ripped out.

"The reality is the SNP slashed the Council’s trees budget this year and now residents are being told there’s no cash to plant replacement trees in their precious greenspace.

"Greens had secured extra funds last year, so it’s now clear the SNP’s decision to reverse that was massively misguided."

Residents in the Strathbungo community have commissioned their own tree survey, which they say shows five of the under-threat trees can be saved.

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But despite this additional expert advice, the council claims the trees must come down.

And there is no money to plant replacement trees.

Locals are up in arms at the decision and are organising to try to save the greenspace outside their homes.

Trees have been decorated with posters calling for the council to keep the trees and last night there was a public meeting to discuss the issue.

Mr Harvie is calling on the council to look at whether it can spare the trees from the axe as well as committing to replacement planting for any which cannot be saved.

He claimed the lack of cash for new trees was a result of the SNP administration’s cuts and exposed their rhetoric on the climate emergency as just empty words.

It follows a recent £45,000 cut in the city’s budget for replacing lost trees, after SNP councillors reversed their previous year’s budget deal with the Greens.

Mr Harvie added: "It’s not enough just to say there’s a climate emergency, the SNP must also start to act like they know what that means.

"Committing to save these trees and replace any which can’t be saved, would be a good place to start."

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A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “The poor condition of these trees means they are a risk to safety, particularly when branches regularly break off during high winds.

“We are aware of the independent report that recommends the retention of five trees but which also advises that those trees should be the subject of an aggressive management technique called crown reduction.

“In our view crown reduction will likely compromise the long term health of the older trees found in Niddrie Square in any case.

“By removing these trees there is an opportunity to reflect on a range of potential future uses of this space, which can include planting new trees if that’s the consensus of the community.

“Overall the council last year planted 7000 new trees.”