People power protest stops trees from being felled

Complaints by residents and councillors prevented workers from felling six Ash trees in Drynham Lane affected by the deadly dieback disease.

Locals and councillors claim that felling the trees could directly influence a Redrow Homes’ planning application for 247 new homes at Elm Grove Farm.

The trees form part of a ‘bat corridor’ which, under the current Trowbridge Bat Migration Strategy, is proving to be a major obstacle that could block future housing development.

The angry residents managed to stop this tree in Drynham Lane from being felled. Photo: Trevor Porter 69738-4 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Local resident Giuseppe Melillo said: “These trees are Category 1 Bat roosting, as identified in the Trowbridge Bat Mitigation Strategy and the developer’s application for Elm Grove.

“Bats can continue to live in dead trees. I would suggest they are just made safe, if they pose a threat at all to the public.

“Under the circumstances can I ask someone stops all work immediately until an ecology assessment has been done.

“The hedges forms a commuting corridor to the trees and beyond. I cannot believe one has already been chopped down before any type of consultation.”

Trowbridge mayor Cllr Graham Hill said: “I was contacted by a resident, mainly because I stood up to the developers in a meeting and made a major issue of the Trowbridge Bat Mitigation Strategy.

“Part of the argument was the preservation of the bat corridors. These trees are a part of one of those corridors.

“They are an impediment to the developer maxing out housing density and also access so the timing is very odd.

“Trowbridge Town Council should be a consultee in works such as this and have not been alerted, and the work order was eventually tracked down to Sustainable Highways, which is a very unusual route.

“I was in a meeting at The Civic at the time that I was contacted, so went in to County and made a nuisance of myself until I got to speak to an officer.

“I was able to tell them that this was in breach of policy and may well even be illegal.

“Oddly, the work ceased straight away and, to the best of my knowledge, has not resumed.”

Limbs from a tree that was cut down showed no signs of decay. Photo: Trevor Porter 69738-5 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Local Drynham ward councillor Antonio Piazza accused Wiltshire Council of “violating” its own planning policy by allowing the work to go ahead.

He called on the council to cease the work until an investigation and consultation with residents has taken place, saying neither he nor Trowbridge Town Council had been informed about the works.

Cllr Piazza said: “I understand that officers are citing this as emergency tree works, most likely due to the ash dieback (to prevent disease and ensure safety) and residents are disputing this.

“I am unsure if officers are aware of the controversial Elm Grove Farm reserved matters planning application that is currently active at Wiltshire Council, receiving responses from consultees before facing a final vote.

“Removal of these trees, due to their association with creating the bat corridor, could potentially directly impact the decision.

“It also questions the legitimacy of several large site applications around Trowbridge, as what is the point in having a planning policy if Wiltshire Council are then going to violate it - especially when it is their own policy.

“I cannot see how the Elm Grove Farm application, and numerous other applications around Trowbridge, can go ahead when it is in direct conflict to the policy.

“However, if the trees are felled then this could directly impact the use of the policy and the final application result.”