Anyone who has been to Tamworth lately, driven and/or walked down the CBD section of Peel Street and consciously observed their surroundings, could not have helped but notice the following: 

* Both sides of the street are lined with shade trees approximately 10 metres high and set into the footpath.

* Trees of a similar height are set into the median strip running the full length of the street. 

* On one side, vehicles are permitted to parallel park, on the other they are required to angle park rear to kerb. Even allowing for parking in this manner, there is still sufficient width to allow one lane of traffic to travel either side of the median strip. 

* In the summer months the entire street could best be described as covered in a canopy of foliage and shade.

I was obliged to spend four days in Tamworth recently and managed to make my own enquiries of the Tamworth Regional Council and was advised as follows: 

* The species of tree used in Peel Street is the Cut Leaf Plane Tree. The trees were planted in three stages from 1996 onwards. Yes, there were problems with the root systems but the same were subsequently rectified. 

* The width of Peel Street from gutter to gutter is 17.10 metres. 

* The width of the median strip is 1.75 metres. 

* Traffic runs smoothly along Peel Street and maintenance of the trees and surrounds create no real problems.

The information I received from council came via the front desk and for that reason alone, only a mug punter would stake his house on it for reliability. In this regard might I suggest our council, with all its resources, would have little problem verifying the same.

By way of comparison, the following are the results of my enquiries for both Otho and Byron Streets: 

* The species of tree used is the London Plane Tree, and I understand the same were planted in 1996/97. The trees are set into the roadway. 

* The width of both streets gutter to gutter is 20.10 metres.

Both Byron and Otho Streets at present are three metres wider than Peel Street gutter to gutter. Allow a median strip down the middle of both streets the same width as that in Peel Street and there would still be ample room to cater for traffic and parking in the same manner Tamworth has done. Maybe not to the same degree with parallel parking but so what, there is plenty of parking available close by.

Alternatively, it would also be possible to retain angle parking on both sides of the street. In either case I see no reason for a need to uproot and replace the existing trees.

Unless there is some significant difference in the root system of the London Plane Tree as opposed to the cut leaf variety, one can only ask the following questions of our local council:

* What in fact is the problem with the root system of our Plane Trees as opposed to that experienced by Tamworth Regional Council with theirs? 

* Has our council in fact made enquiries of Tamworth as to how they rectified the problems they encountered. If not, why not? 

* Might our council consider a study of the Peel Street CBD precinct with a view to implementing a similar streetscape? This would negate the proposal to remove the existing London Plane Trees, provide a greater canopy and shade and save considerable ratepayer funding as well as disruption to business and traffic.

There are very few days go by that I don't stop and talk to a visitor to Inverell, be it someone from out of town doing some shopping, a couple in a caravan checking out the town and district or whoever.

The comment son the town are almost always favourable and the Macintyre River, the colourful roundabouts and the tree-lined streets generally get a mention.

The same could be said about Tamworth, and one cannot help but ting their council has got it right. Hopefully, our local council will manage to do likewise.

Bill Dempsey

Inverell