MAY I start by thanking my wife and friends for all their help in my recent election campaign. My thanks also to everyone who voted, especially if for me, and I look forward to serving Hilperton for the next four years.
On a far less positive note, I am appalled that Wiltshire Council is again ignoring the protocol whereby local councillors should be made aware of anything which Wiltshire Council is doing in their division.
I refer, of course, to the wholesale destruction of yet more trees on Paxcroft Mead that I had no knowledge of.
Wiltshire Council undertook a similar, but larger-scale exercise, a year or two back; it seems to have learned nothing from that. 
While residents can understand the removal of trees which are causing subsidence they cannot understand why Wiltshire Council takes such an aggressive stance on the matter.
Furthermore, non-urgent major tree work involving tree removal operations should not be undertaken during the bird nesting or breeding season, which is considered to be from March 1 to July 31. 
The recent work can, in no way, be considered to be ‘urgent’ and the claim that ‘The … team carries out wildlife assessments to make sure no birds are harmed as the trees are felled’ defies belief. 
Contrary to the assertion in your article I would suggest that this exercise has indeed been a case of cutting trees down willy-nilly.
This work seems to be contrary to the Wildlife And Countryside Act – 1981, Conservation – Natural Habitats – Regulations 1994 and Countryside Rights Of Way Act – 2000. All wild birds, their young, their eggs and active nests are protected under law. It is an offence to damage a nest intentionally while it is in use or being built.
I would urge anyone who witnessed this destruction to report it formally to the police. Wiltshire Council is not above the law – it should uphold it.
Ernie Clark
Wiltshire Councillor for Hilperton Division
Independent Group leader, Wiltshire Council