Plymouth palm trees removed to cut public sex and drug use

Palm trees on Plymouth's waterfront were cut down in an attempt to stop people having sex and using drugs in the public area, the city council said.

Plymouth City Council chopped down the "cabbage palms" on the Hoe at the end of April.

It said council officers had regularly had to clean up "sex and drug paraphernalia".

The council said the palms on the Hoe would be replaced by other plants that would "improve biodiversity benefits".

A Plymouth City Council spokesperson said: "As part of our regular programme of maintenance, and following feedback from the community, including local groups, we have been keen to clean-up this space on the Hoe and make it more welcoming and safe for both residents and visitors.

"The area around the Belvedere shelter has suffered from growing anti-social behaviour, with council officers regularly having to clean up sex and drug paraphernalia."

The council said over the past few years, it had carried out improvement works on two other shelters, which it said received positive feedback.

In the latest works, carried out on the final shelter on 23 April, the council removed large shrubs, including cabbage palms.

The council insisted the work was carried out in consultation with an ecologist, who confirmed there were no birds nesting in the shrubs.

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