The above photo was taken in late October and is looking east from Monument Moor. It shows the trees in front of the university’s St Mark’s flats. The photo below was taken this morning and shows the same view immediately after workmen had cut the trees down. If you look closely, you can see their vehicles and equipment. The noise their equipment was making could be heard from the main part of the Moor. I felt sorry for anyone in the flats who was trying to study or rest, and for the retired residents of the Harrison Potter Home. Leeds University is definitely not a considerate neighbour.

The university recently presented a proposal to replace St Mark’s flats with a larger complex of flats. So the question’s got to be, “Why cut the trees down now?” Could it be that the university regards the grant of planning permission as a foregone conclusion ? If the university does get planning permission, then heaven help this part of Woodhouse, for what they propose is truly awful.