EDITOR'S CHOICE MOONWALKERS Wiltshire women walk for hospice STARS LINE UP Marlborough Jazz Festival line-up revealed STADIUM GREN LIGHT New Swindon speedway stadium moves ahead TOWN'S TICKET DEAL Fitton pins hopes on 6,000 season ticket sales ON AT THE CINEMA On-screen carnage in the capitol All's fair in love and war Go, Speed Racer! VOTE Should rubbish collections in North Wiltshire go fortnightly? Yes No GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL Just register

Most read Comments 1 Helicopter chases burglars 2 Four men arrested for GBH 3 ASDA appeal starts in Chippenham 4 Drunken teen jailed for violent crimes 5 Men arrested for lead theft 6 VIP guest for Devizes police disco 7 Weapons warning after arrest 8 Bearded man attacks woman in Swindon 9 Jones reunited with protege in tournament 10 Wildflowers make comeback Today | 7 Days 1 Bridge centre could be sold 2 Calne council votes not to fly flag 3 Steam roller causing delays in Chippenham 4 Rubbish idea 5 Clubland coming to Neeld hall? 6 Clock to make up for lost time 7 Doherty not being evicted 8 Cannabis factory found in Calne 9 Doherty back home in Marlborough 10 Tycoon scales down holiday home plan

Comment | Read Comments (1)

Neighbour Barbara Wilkins is angry that a chestnut tree near her home was cut down by Westlea Housing Association without permission

Chopping down a cherished chestnut tree in Calne may land Westlea Housing Association with a £20,000 fine.

North Wiltshire District Council could impose the penalty if it decides the tree was axed illegally.

Residents in Curzon Park were dismayed when they saw Westlea workers taking chainsaws to the tree, which is subject to a preservation order. When confronted by residents the Westlea workers called their bosses who stopped them removing the tree completely.

Pensioner Barbara Wilkins, who has lived in Curzon Park for 15 years, said the tree was a focal point of the area.

She said: "Curzon Park is a little oasis and it is so pretty. This tree was so beautiful and used to bloom pink every year.

"The tree was precious because it was the first tree planted in the area and for it to have been felled is a great shame for the community.

"It was such a lovely tree and I could not see anything wrong with the tree so it needed to be cut down. The worse thing is the workers have left the wood on the site and the tree looks dead. It is an awful sight.

"I think Westlea have been quite sneaky and if people had not spotted the tree was being cut down it would have gone completely."

Westlea bought land in Curzon Park last summer and plan to build 28 homes, including two multi-storey buildings with around seven flats. Bungalows dominate Curzon Park and residents fear the influx of families will destroy the retirement community.

Resident Chris Allen said: "As far as I know this tree was not damaged in any shape or form and should not have been cut down.

"The workers have just left a load of wood at the site and not even taken it away."

A Westlea spokesman said: "Two trees on the land we have purchased at Curzon Park were cut down as part of work to clear the site. Even though one of these was heavily diseased we fully accept that neither should have been removed without permission. Unfortunately we had not known a preservation order was in effect for the line of trees in question but stopped any further work on other trees immediately when this was discovered."

A district council spokes-man said: "We understand that this is a tree with a Tree Preservation Order.

A meeting was arranged with Westlea but was later postponed. We are now arranging to meet with them next week to ask for an explanation of what happened and why.''

1:47pm Thursday 13th March 2008

Print

Email this

Comment