Most people would drive right past this forgettable spot in Broughty Ferry, but not Jeannie Cooper.
Since moving here in the 90s, it has been a favourite for Jeannie’s walks in The Ferry.
But after workers ripped up the trees and hedge to make way for a new Aldi store, gone are the days of Jeannie’s peaceful strolls accompanied by birdsong.
Now, the conservationist is filled with “rage” whenever she passes by.
She began her fight against the supermarket giant Aldi back in 2021 to save a precious green corridor in Dundee.
I met with Jeannie to ask how she is feeling about the barren state of the area now.
And I was surprised a small woman like Jeannie is capable of fizzing with so much fury.
She slammed the “totally unnecessary destruction of a valuable wildlife habitat”.
Use the slider below to see what the area looked like in 2021 versus last week.
The habitat ran along the A92 near Tom Johnston Road, where Aldi will build the supermarket.
Jeannie warned that birds may die now that their nests and roosts have been destroyed as they will need to compete for resources elsewhere.
She said the supermarket destroyed the habitat so drivers on the A92 have a good view of the shop from the road.
“There were around 14 nests in that hedgerow,” she told me.
“It was so unnecessary for them to cut it down, I couldn’t understand why they wanted to do it.
“There was absolutely no need for that, and nobody protected it.”
‘Aldi doesn’t care about the environment’
We first met with Jeannie back in 2021 when her fight was just beginning.
Little did we know that two years later, the hedge and trees would be torn down – birds’ nests and roosts along with them.
The area is home to great tits, song thrush, blue tits, swallows, rabbits, lots of insects and more.
Dundee City Council originally rejected the plans for an Aldi store on the site, saying it was earmarked for industrial use.
However, the Scottish Government overturned this on appeal.
Jeannie had hoped to come to a compromise with the budget supermarket because part of the greenery appeared to lie beyond the application site.
She would have been satisfied with just saving the hedge, but now workers have destroyed both the hedge and trees, and with it the homes of birds, bugs and animals.
“Aldi doesn’t care about the environment,” Jeannie claimed.
“I’m quite happy for Aldi to build a shop wherever they want – people need discount food at the moment.
“But there was absolutely no need for that.”
Inspired by Jeannie’s passion, Anna Kellner, at the time a postgrad student at St Andrews, set up a petition urging Aldi to rethink its plans to fell trees and the hedge.
There were 700 signatures in June 2021. And today?
More than 74,000 people have signed it – but still, that wasn’t enough to protect the area.
Jeannie reminisced bitterly: “I’ve been visiting for years now, I thought I could save it.
“I thought that sense would see through.”
“It just makes you feel hopeless,” Jeannie admitted.
“But it hasn’t put me off – I would fight again.”
An Aldi spokesperson would not comment on the removal of the hedges and trees, or the fate of the birds who have lost their homes.
She said: “Works are progressing as planned and in line with the planning consent that was granted.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said its reporter “took full account of the submissions made by all parties, including those from members of the local community.”
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