Protection order now in place for five 'imposing' Shrewsbury trees threatened with the axe

The application to fell five trees at 1 Water Lane in Shrewsbury was submitted to Shropshire Council in November last year.

The proposal included the felling of two horse chestnut trees and three Corsican pines, with the hopes of replacing them with eight more trees but the plans were met with outrage from neighbours. 

The applicant has argued that the five trees are "imposing" on a nearby building -  a single-storey boathouse - "leaning on the walls and roof and excessively shading the property".

The dilapidated boathouse in question has recently been the subject of another controversial planning application when government planning inspectors overturned the council's rejection of plans to replace it with a modern two-storey structure.

In approving the plans, the planning inspector noted that building the new structure on the footprint of the original boathouse would mean "the root systems of trees are not harmfully impacted on" and noted that the council's tree officer was content that "there would be limited impact on trees as a result of the proposal".

As well as attracting objections from 18 neighbours, the application to fell the trees was objected to by Shrewsbury Town Council and Shropshire Parks and Gardens Trust.

The trust argued the inspector's decision was "greatly influenced" by the lack of harm caused to trees on the site. 

Christopher Gallagher, writing on behalf of Shropshire Parks & Gardens Trust and The Gardens Trust added: "In the light of the present application however, it would appear that these undertakings have little value. 

"Notwithstanding the many submitted architect’s elevations and visualisations, showing the importance of the existing mature trees on site in screening the proposed development, or the arboricultural reports arguing that those same trees would not be adversely affected by the development, it is now proposed simply to remove them altogether, to be replaced by immature street trees that will have little screening effect at all. 

"As stated in our previous responses to these proposals, and the clearly negative consequences that would result from the proposed removal of these trees, as seen both from the Grade II Registered Quarry Park & Dingle Gardens, and from elsewhere within the surrounding Conservation Area, we strongly object to this application."

Shropshire Council have now issued a Tree Protection Order for the trees in question after rejecting the application to fell them.

A spokesperson for Shropshire Council said: "On receipt of the application the trees, which are within a conservation area, were assessed within the terms of local and national policy guidance.

"The TPO was made because they are significant to the landscape and are considered an amenity to the public and the environment."