THE TULLOS HILL DEER STORY

TULLOS HILL, ABERDEEN.  For over 70 years roe deer lived on the scrub and meadow on top of Tullos Hill, a former rubbish tip with very little soil.   Then someone decided that they would plant a 'Tree for Every Citizen'.  They didn't say anything about killing the deer when the public consultation was live.  So the deer were slaughtered. No trees are likely to thrive - the government said as much. Here are some of the details.  Stop press:  it is with pleasure that one of the scheme's proponents was let go by the City.  This was Peter Leonard.  He called the deer 'vermin' (incorrect on many counts).  When he mismanaged the crematorium, he made a remark about the cremation of infants that helped secure his overdue demise.

Update 24 August - following Aberdeen City's Petitions Committee agreeing costs for the Tree For Every Citizen Scheme should be disclosed, seventeen weeks elapsed with no figures forthcoming.  What finally appeared did not even have all the costs previously disclosed.  An article in Aberdeen Voice published 25 August will detail some of what is missing and what is wrong with the entire picture.  Here are the recently released figures (above right); compare them with the spreadsheet from 2011 (above left).  The new figures leave  out the £43,800 the city was fined for the previous failure, and some £30,000 in herbicide costs - that's just for openers.


Update April 2015:  A petition asking Aberdeen City Council important questions about Tullos and the deer cull had sufficient signatures (over 432, counting those outside the city/those who weren't on the electoral register) to be accepted.  On 21 April Suzanne Kelly goes before the Petitions Committee to ask for a halt to deer culling (there may only be 19 left in the city), to ask for detailed accounts of how much the tree planting and deer cull has cost, and to ask for a 'comfort letter' from Scottish Natural Heritage - to stop them getting more money from the taxpayer should this current tree planting fail to take.  Why would it fail?  See photos below, taken in March 2015.  If as the SNH claimed both deer browsing and weeds stopped the last planting from happening, perhaps the city should do some weeding?

 

Below is the presentation made to Aberdeen's Petitions Committee; an article on www.aberdeenvoice.com gives details of what the outcomes were.

NEWSFLASH:  Aberdeen City's Chief Executive Valerie Watts stood down on 25 March 2014.  She was a staunch defender of the deer cull, despite being caught in a few little misunderstandings as outlined in the deer report below.  The file above is one of her letters on the subject; an article will soon appear on her departure and tenure at www.aberdeenvoice.com


TULLOS HILL LATEST - http://aberdeenvoice.com/2014/03/staggering-tullos-hill-deer-count-3-animals/

TULLOS HILL NOVEMBER 2012:  A Disaster Area

 

The Woodland Trust deemed the 'success' of the 'Tree for Every Citizen' scheme worthy of an award.  This award was presented by Princess Anne to Ian Tallboys with Aberdeen City  Council in October 2012.

Did anyone think to look at the state Tullos Hill and the new trees were left in before handing over this award?  These photos taken 18 November show weeds chocking the new trees and a scarred landscape.  Wildlife has been killed or drive away to create this disaster.  By what criteria is this a success?

Would you give this scheme an award for success?  More in Aberdeen Voice at
 http://aberdeenvoice.com/2012/11/tree-for-every-citizen-award-winner-or-disaster/ 

 ABERDEEN LATEST:  34 OR 35 DEER HAVE BEEN SHOT

 

New information reveals that the City did not have 22 or as it later claimed 23 deer culled:  it has now admitted to the slaughter of 34 or 35 (the city's records are filled with contradiction).  The story is currently on www.aberdeenvoice.com .  Below are some of the records relating to this giant cull.

EIR-12-0536_-_Appendix_1.pdf EIR-12-0536_-_Appendix_1.pdf
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EIR-12-0536_-_Appendix_A.pdf EIR-12-0536_-_Appendix_A.pdf
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26 April 2012 - It is with sadness and anger I have to report that 22 of the deer which roamed on Tullos Hill were slaughtered by Aberdeen City Council.  A Freedom of Information Request has revealed this sad development. 

A protest in the form of a mock funeral was held Saturday 28 April on Tullos Hill at 09:30 - pictures can be found at www.aberdeenvoice.com

What a waste of life.

There will soon be an article in the Aberdeen Voice www.aberdeenvoice.com which will describe how the Council did a 'risk assessment' on killing the deer, which admitted exposing the public to lethal risk.  The City was to have posted signs at every entrance to the hill to warn shooting was taking place:  I never saw a sign, nor did nearly a dozen other frequent visitors.  The document to the right is the so-called risk assessment.   

The Tullos Hill Report

Tullos Hill

Tullos is scheduled to have 89,000 trees planted on it, forever changing its current, valuable ecosystem.  The trees did not grow before, and cost taxpayers at least £43,800.

Meadowlands

The south of Aberdeen is about to lose much of its existing land to development, or some would say over-development.  Help keep Tullos and its wildlife as they are - or perhaps even increase the existing biodiversity.  Say no to the City's  current, discredited plans.  The full details are in the report.

 

MARCH 17 2012 - NEW PETITION - PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND SIGN

Use link at bottom of this page for 'Old Susannah's Journal'

On Saturday 17 March over 170 people flocked to sign the new petition, which was launched in Aberdeen City Centre. Over 350 flyers were handed out - all in less than 1 1/4 hours.  Petition is also available at Lush, Union Street, Aberdeen and at Warehouse Health Club, to whom we are grateful.

Just print the petition, have it signed, and return to the address on the bottom of the petititon - your signature might help to end this senseless scheme.

 I have prepared a detailed report on the Tullos Hill situation - how the previous tree planting failed, how the City handled its 'Tree for Every Citizen' scheme, and crucially  how vital information was not included in the public consultation.

The report and its appendix items are all attached.  The  Executive Summary provides a less detailed synopsis of the situation.

 

If you believe that Tullos  Hill should remain as the meadow and grassland area it is, and its roe deer should not be culled for a tree planting which is not  likely to succeed - then please visit the petition at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/tullos-hill-meadowlands-deer-park.html and join the 400+ plus people who have signed.

 

For further information and updates, you can  join a mailing list by writing to tullosdeer@yahoo.co.uk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.pdf EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.pdf
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Appendix 7 community council comments.pdf Appendix 7 community council comments.pdf
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appendix_8  draft application re Tullos.pdf appendix_8 draft application re Tullos.pdf
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Appendix 9 proposed planting area.png Appendix 9 proposed planting area.png
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Appendix 12 Saving our Magnificent Meadows.pdf Appendix 12 Saving our Magnificent Meadows.pdf
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Appendix 13 Public Consultation.pdf Appendix 13 Public Consultation.pdf
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 For more information on Trump in Scotland, see my report at this link: http://menie-estate-report.yolasite.com/    and visit Aberdeen Voice www.aberdeenvoice.com

Article on the consultation can be found here:  http://aberdeenvoice.com/2013/08/second-menie-course-less-than-7-days-to-respond/ 

Links:COPYRIGHT 2009 Scottish Daily Record & Sunday. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights or concerns about this content should be directed to Customer Service.

http://oldsusannahsjournal.yolasite.com/  - links to items appearing on Aberdeen Voice – at the moment these include information on Union Terrace Gardens and a Vote Retain UTG poster to download

http://oldsusannahsjournalchildrenschristmasartwork.yolasite.com/   - Artwork from VSA's Easter Anguston Farm, September 2012 and Aberdonain children’s artwork submitted to a competition in December 2011 – over 300 beautiful pieces of artwork across several powerpoint presentations