Church authorities in Devizes responding to protests over the decision to fell an avenue of mature hornbeam trees in St James’s churchyard have said “relax, it's going to be all things bright and beautiful”.

Following the news that the memorial avenue of twelve 30-year-old trees is to be cut down at St James’ Church by The Crammer, church authorities have revealed that it is all part of a plan to significantly re-wild the churchyard.

Noel Woolrych, the former mayor of Devizes who has spent 20 years managing the churchyard, said the hornbeams have to come down because of health and safety issues – but what will go in their place will make the area much more ecologically friendly.

“Hornbeams are wonderful trees – in a wood,” said Mr Woolrych, a spokesman for the church.

“But they grow to up to 40 metres in height and spread to about six metres. So planting them two metres apart as they did with this avenue 30 years ago was a mistake.”

He added: “We don’t want to cut down these trees, but they have got past a manageable height. Also, the roots are pushing up the paving on the path, making it uneven and a health and safety issue, especially when the leaves fall and make the area very slippery for people who walk through the churchyard all the time.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: Noel Woolrych church rewilding championNoel Woolrych church rewilding champion

“But we are going to make the churchyard much more ecologically-friendly and sustainable for wildlife and birds and offset the loss of the trees by wilding the area.”

The church is planning to create a meadow of wild flowers and grasses around the graves and the pathway where the hornbeams are.

“We want to make it bright and beautiful,” said Mr Woolrych, “a wild meadow will encourage more bio-diversity.”

He added: “We will also be planting new trees in the churchyard, something more ornamental like crabapple or cherry trees.”

The hornbeams that are to be chopped down were planted in memory of 12 members of the congregation of St James’ Church. Their families have been consulted by the church authorities and they have given their consent to the felling.

“One of the members of these families is our tree surgeon and he is in favour of getting rid of the hornbeams because he says they are unmanageable,” said Mr Woolrych.

“But we are also going to honour the memory of those whom the trees commemorate by putting in benches in their memory and we aim to add lighting for those walking through the churchyard at night.

"We also want to put solar panels in the church, which we can’t do at the moment because of the shade created by the trees.”