To feel so upset about this...

[MidnightSun77]

Until this morning there was a beautiful mature cherry tree outside our home, still in full blossom. It screened our balcony from main road. There was a pair of nesting magpies living in it, as well as squirrels, wood-pigeons etc. I loved this tree. The scent of blossom came in all our windows. It made city living feel like being in countryside, we woke to birdsong every day and could hear leaves rustling. I was looking forward to BF on balcony when our baby arrives.
The tree was sturdy and didn't appear diseased in any way. This morning a group of council forestry workers came and hacked it down! Now there's just a stump.

I've been crying over it all day, I feel so sad and angry. Every time I look out window I see the road and cars instead of leafy branches and blossom. Why did they destroy a healthy mature tree?! The magpies now have no nest (which probably had babies in) and are flying around the stump in confusion.
Our balcony feels exposed instead of private and tranquil.

AIBU to feel so upset over this or is it just pregnancy hormones?

I would cry too, I get really emotional over tree butchery! And I'm not pregnant! Are you sure they haven't just really pruned it back or have they chopped it right down?

That's awful Was there any sort of notice pinned to it? There was on one round here; it looked perfectly healthy but was apparently suffering from some unnamed disease. According to the council, anyway.
The note announced their intention to replace the tree immediately, which to their credit, they did...
With a twig around 2 foot high It'll probably take 50 years for it to even vaguely resemble what they chopped up for firewood. If some dog doesn't get to it first.

That would get me, and my youngest is six!
Sorry for you.

And having lived in a city I remember how you appreciate every little bit of greenery there is!

Oh i think that's really sad. I'd be devastated too. Having something beautiful outside the house makes a huge difference to me. Allegedly people in hospitals get better faster if they see green outside the windows. And all the wildlife too. I really feel for you.

I'd be sad too.

I'd be upset too, pregnant or not. Were there electric or telephone wires underneath it? They seem to be able to lop down trees without warning if so.

YANBU.
They chopped down the tree outside the house I grew up, I wanted to cry then.
We used to attach ropes to it and make swings

YANBU. That is v sad. I have an apple tree in my garden that is in beautiful dark pink blossom atm. The thought of it being chopped down is unbearable (even though the apples it grows are inedible).

Call the council and demand to know why, and the replacement plans.

Can you ask the council why it was chopped down?

I would be sad, and I have no hormonal scapegoat.

A tangent: might a residence lose value if the council chops a tree down?

I'm not pregnant and I cry over chopped hedges let alone beautiful trees. I am sorry to hear of the tree being chopped down.

Phone the council and ask about why it was cut down?

But - crying all day? Seriously? Even with pregnancy hormones that's OTT.

It could have been causing subsidence of surrounding properties - a tree outside our old house had to go for that reason, and there was no notice given because it wasn't optional and had to be done for insurance purposes. Could you put a couple of plants in pots on your balcony to try and recreate some of the advantages that the tree once offered?

I would be sad too! There's nothing lovelier than seeing greenery outside your window, it represents nature and life. I have cried over many a chopped down tree that surrounded my parents garden, it used to be a canopy of huge oak trees. Then the owners cut them down to get more light! How selfish

My partner is a tree surgeon and is regularly on the other side of very upset people

To be fair they don't usually just cut down healthy trees for no reason. Um sorry you're upset though!

I agree you should phone the council and ask why.

There's bound to be a very good reason as they don't tend to chop down trees for nothing.

We're absolutely overrun with Magpies and squirrels here so I won't comment about the little bastards them

Thanks for replies

There was no notice on it, no electrical wires near it. Sadly it's just a stump now, not just over-pruned or trimmed back. The branches were overhanging road a bit so maybe council went OTT on health and safety. It's such a shame though, it takes decades for a tree to grow to that size and was so beautiful, as well as home to birds and squirrels.

Yanbu. Magpies are the nicest birds in the world as they do like to get little birds. However a cheery tree in full blossom is stunning so yanbu re the council murder of this tree. Was there a notice on the tree? Can the council replace with another tree of you happy to water it whilst its a baby tree.

See this beautiful tree.
I cried when they chopped it down.Bastards. I feel for you op.

I wouldn't say it's hormones OP, I am very sad to read about your lovely tree. I hope the council had a damn good reason.

That is a real shame, I would have been upset too. Living in a city you really appreciate every bit of green.

They should learn to leaf things alone!!

Ring the council!

I may have also got very upset about trees before, hopefully they had a sensible reason.