An emergency protection order was secured after a house builder attempted to knock down a selection of mature pine trees in Marlow. As reported the Madienhead Advitiser.
The trees in Gunthorpe Road were saved after Red Kite Housing tree fellers had come to chop them down.
The three trees on the green sit on Red Kite land, with no previous protection order placed on them. But, Marlow Town Council (MTC) worked with Wycombe District Council (WDC) to obtain an Emergency Tree Protection Order.
Red Kite Housing, based in High Wycombe, has 28 days, from Thursday 11 April to appeal the order.
Marlow Town Council said in a statement:
“Officers have been working with WDC to secure an emergency Tree Protection Order on the trees at Gunthorpe Road after contractors arrived to fell them.”
The trees are now decorated with handmade paper signs from children, complete with messages about the importance of the trees.
Red Kite Housing said in a statement on the same day:
“We understand how residents feel with regard to the protection of local amenity areas and trees. Felling trees is not something that we take lightly. The decision will only be taken after an appropriate tree survey had been conducted by a competent arboriculture specialist.
“As an organisation we act in accordance with the relevant legislation such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the European Habitats Directive 1992/Nesting Birds Directive. An assessment confirms our compliance with these obligations before work starts.
“We have temporarily suspended works on the site whilst we liaise with Wycombe District Council to clarify the way forward. As a locally based organisation, Red Kite Community Housing aims to work closely with residents to help achieve important objectives like building affordable homes that the community desperately needs.
“In trying to deliver this objective, finding affordable land and sites to develop on in this area is extremely difficult, and we acknowledge that this may at times be sensitive to the local community.”
