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    14

    Aug 2020

    Last Updated: 14/08/2020
    Harrogate
    Harrogate

    'Save our trees' plea from Harrogate residents

    by Connor Creaghan

    | 14 Aug, 2020
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    Harrogate Borough Council told the Stray Ferret that it is considering placing a Tree Preservation Order on the remaining trees.

    st-marys-church-group
    This group of residents have spoken out after trees were chopped down.

    A group of Harrogate residents have raised concerns after a property developer chopped down five trees in the grounds of St Mary's Church.

    One of the residents, Matthew Weller, said he noticed that three trees had been felled last week. A couple of days later he woke to the sound of chainsaws.

    It is unclear at this time whether the trees are protected or in a conservation area. The council is investigating.

    Mr Weller rushed out of his flat as he watched the fourth tree fall. He asked to see their workman's paperwork but said he was dismissed. The workers chopped down a fifth tree soon after.

    He told the Stray Ferret:

    "The planning department has not made any decision on the original planning application from a year ago so we stopped paying attention to it. We are not trying to halt this process, we recognise that it needs redevelopment. This group just wants the best possible outcome for everyone."





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    The group has now got 45 members and has called a meeting for residents outside Westcliffe Hall at 4pm this Saturday. The organisers have asked just one person per household to attend.

    St Mary's Church on Harlow Terrace dates back to 1916 and is a Grade II* Listed Building. The church has structural problems and is in need of a lot of work.



    The Stray Ferret approached Hattersley Property Solutions as well as Shaw and Jagger Architects with a request for comment. Both said they were not responsible for the felling of trees.

    A spokesman for Harrogate Borough Council told the Stray Ferret that it is considering placing a Tree Preservation Order on the remaining trees:

    "We have been made aware of trees that have been removed from the site and we are now looking into whether that has been a breach of planning conditions, or not."


    Those who deliberately destroy a protected tree face fines up to £20,000 per tree through a magistrates' court.