Coventry council to protect trees after residential felling

Preservation orders could be placed on trees in Coventry after some were felled without warning on land owned by a developer.

Residents in the Walsgrave area said they were angry at the loss of the matures trees on land near their homes.

The city council has now protected the last remaining tree and said it would "work hard" to preserve others.

The developer declined a BBC interview and accused the residents of harassing and intimidating him.

Boswell Drive resident Anita Vavan, who filmed as the trees were removed, originally thought workmen were pruning them.

"My husband came home from work and said they're not taming them, they're cutting them all down," she said.

Now homeowners on Boswell Drive have confronted the developer, asking for an explanation.

Freda, who lives opposite, told the BBC their removal had left her tearful.

"It's really made me ill, actually," she added.

Coventry City Council has now placed a preservation order on the last remaining tree and is considering protecting trees on pockets of residential land across the city.

"We need to ensure that those that warrant to have tree protection that those orders are put in place," said Cllr Patricia Seaman.

"We will be working really hard to ensure that is the case and that we can see no more disruption than this"

Tree Preservation Orders are used to protect trees which improve the quality of a local area, with about 4,800 protected within Coventry.

People that deliberately destroy a protected tree could be prosecuted and are liable to fines of up to £20,000, said the council.

The developer, who did not wish to be identified, told BBC News he was not sure what he planned to do with the land, but Ms Vavan said he had told her he wanted to build flats on it.

"He's not going to get any planning permission here, I will fight him every step of the way, because I'm heartbroken what he's done to our community and our green," she said.

The residents said they want to buy the land back, but the developer has not agreed, adding that what he does with the land is none of their business.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk