Campaigners welcome changes to tree felling plan
BBCCampaigners have welcomed news that planning applications involving the destruction of trees have been withdrawn.
The trees were to have been removed from a route into the Stanton Cross development in the Northamptonshire town of Wellingborough.
A judge ruled last year that the local council should not have allowed the removal of 16 lime trees at the site.
The developer said revised proposals would be submitted which would focus on "limiting tree loss as far as possible".
The future of the trees has been the subject of a long and bitter battle.
Sixteen were cut down in February 2023 before protesters stopped contractors from continuing their work.
Four protesters, including an 84-year-old man, were arrested.
The project was put on hold while legal proceedings, brought by the campaigners, ran their course.
Deputy High Court Judge Dan Kolinsky KC ruled in May 2024 that North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) was wrong to have given permission for the trees to be felled as the developers should have made a fresh planning application.
The developers did submit new applications in April 2024 which were due to be considered by the council later this month.
The developers have now told the authority that they have been considering "the considerable quantum of representations received through the consultation periods" and have revised their plans.
They added "interested parties" would not have had enough time to consider the revisions before the planning meeting in February, so they had withdrawn their existing applications.
Marion Turner-Hawes, from the Wellingborough Walks Action Group (WWAG) described the withdrawals as "great news".
She said WWAG had submitted suggestions to the developer of how the access route could still be built and most of the trees could be saved.
She added there had been no response and she would "wait and see what the new proposals look like.
"It's heartening to hear in the letter they sent to [the council], that they have taken on board the various comments and contributions and the decision of the High Court in May 2024."
NNC and Stanton Cross Developments have been invited to comment.
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