COUNCIL bosses have been accused of "butchering" a local beauty spot popular with hundreds of newlywed couples.
Coronation Park in Port Glasgow has provided a stunning backdrop for many local couples’ wedding photographs over the years.
But Inverclyde Council workers recently lopped off the tops of the trees – a process known as "crown raising" – dramatically changing the appearance of the area.
Council officials insist that the "pollarding" work was essential to protect public safety and to prolong the lives of the trees.
But local wedding photographer Louise Gault, who has taken many pictures of newly-married couples in Coronation Park, says its appearance has been "destroyed" by the work – which she insists will leave many brides and grooms heartbroken.
Gault told the Greenock Telegraph: "I couldn't believe it when I saw what they had done to the trees. I am no expert but it is horrendous. That will take many, many years to grow back.
"Everyone from Port Glasgow wants their photographs taken at Coronation Park. It is one of my favourite places for wedding pictures.
"It looked beautiful. But that has now been destroyed."
Last month, Gault said Coronation Park had long been one of her personal favourite locations for all kinds of photographs – not just of weddings.
She added: "The same happened to a tree at Newark Castle. I am no expert but surely it doesn't have to be cut back so drastically.
"Coronation Park is so popular in Port Glasgow. On a sunny day it is full, and now there is nowhere for families to get shade.
"I just think it is a real shame."
Groom Thomas Klein lives in Port Glasgow with his wife Stacy, and had their wedding photos taken underneath the trees in the autumn.
"I just think it is shocking," he said.
"Everyone from Port Glasgow wants to have their photographs taken there. My wife is from Port Glasgow and wanted the Coronation Park for our pictures.
"But now people won't be able to get their photographs taken at the spot.
"The council have spent all that money on the sculpture and then they have taken away the trees."
An Inverclyde Council spokesperson said: “We regularly inspect and carry out maintenance on trees throughout the area.
“The trees in Coronation Park were growing too close to each other and were in fact starting to grow into each other.
“Their canopies were also blocking light onto the paths underneath and causing moss to grow, which was becoming a slip hazard.
“The trees have therefore been crown raised – a tree pruning technique – in the interests of public safety and tree health to prolong the lifespan of trees.”
The council have come under attack previously for cutting back trees in a similar fashion in Greenock's west end.
In Campbell Street and Finnart Street, a number of trees were pollarded back in 2021, and are still years away from returning to their former glory.
