Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
ACIREALE (CATANIA) / LOCAL NEWS – Tempers are running high in Acireale around the building site in piazza Agostino Pennisi, where the start of work on a new cycle lane has triggered a fierce reaction from local environmentalists, who are up in arms after several trees were felled.
A social and political row to which the mayor Roberto Barbagallo has chosen to respond in person, by carrying out a technical inspection on site and firmly rejecting accusations of disfiguring the city’s natural heritage.
Barbagallo: “Rigorous checks with agronomist; trees were diseased and at risk of collapse”
The mayor was keen to stress that the current operations are part of a clear strategy for collective safety and urban redevelopment, backed by specialist technical opinions:
“The city administration denies any suggestion that the local green heritage is being diminished, and states that the work under way meets safety and urban redevelopment criteria. Following a rigorous technical assessment carried out with a specialist agronomist from the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), it was found that the trees removed had serious phytosanitary problems, with an imminent risk of collapse and structural damage to the pedestrian walkways.”
Positive tree balance: from 20 removals to 38 new plantings in lava stone
Barbagallo dismissed out of hand the accusation of wanting to concrete over or reduce the green spaces in the square. The Acireale city administration has in fact confirmed that the project will result in a genuine ecological and aesthetic upgrade for the area:
- Positive plant balance: while 20 diseased specimens have been removed for public safety reasons, between 35 and 38 new trees will be planted, ensuring a net increase in the tree stock.
- Material upgrade: the paving in the area will be completely modernised, with the asphalt removed and traditional lava stone laid, restoring architectural value to the entire square.
