The trees, which are believed to be over 100 years old, stood in the grounds of Beechwood house between St John's Avenue and Medina Avenue.

The area is due to house a new 49 unit residential complex and locals were invited to an open consultation last moth to discuss the development but were not told that the trees would be a casualty of the new complex.

"I think the whole street is upset about it," said St John's Avenue resident Katherine Redshaw, "It was a lovely view.

"The trees were something for our children to see and enjoy but we are just destroying things that can't be replaced."

She added that had the neighbourhood known that the trees would be removed completely she felt sure they would have got together to try and prevent it from happening.

"At the meeting we were told that the trees would just be trimmed," said Mrs Redshaw, "I think it has all been done very sneakily, you just cannot replace 100 year old trees."

Fellow St John's Avenue resident David Johnson was equally upset: "To chop down so many trees in the middle of the town is, I believe, scandalous," he said.

"We have squirrels coming into our garden from them and the birds, but all that will be gone.

"I'm really upset about it, it's just going to change the area so much for all the people who enjoyed the trees being there."

A spokesman for the land owners MHA, a charity made up of the Methodist Housing Care Group, Methoidst Homes and a housing association, said: "Prior to consideration of the development of the Beechwood site, MHA commissioned an independent tree report..

"Following this, a number of Tree Preservation Orders were made on the site.

"Our report had identified a small number of trees as being dead, diseased or poor, with a recommendation to remove.

"The removal of these trees addressed the potential hazards that their condition posed and will benefit the remaining trees, particularly those under the Tree Preservation Order

" All works are being undertaken in consultation with the Arborists and
the Council Tree Officer."

A spokesperson from the council said that as the trees were on private
land the owner had 'every right' to remove them.

A preservation order was placed on two of the oldest trees, a beech and a horse chestnut, but the others remained unprotected.

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