St Albans woodland to be protected

Residents succeed in having trees protected at Birklands Meadow

TWO wooded areas and 11 trees on a St Albans meadow are to be protected from being chopped down after angry residents complained about some being felled in April.

Five oaks are included in the Tree Preservation Order (TPO) placed on both Birklands Park and Birklands Meadow, off London Road, owned by Herts county council and part of the Watling Chase Community Forest.

At a recent St Albans district council plans south committee meeting, an arboricultural officer said officers had met county counterparts in September to discuss the issue.

Furious residents rushed to the open space in April after word of vigorous tree felling got round, and managed to stop it going any further (pictured).

Chairman of the committee, Cllr Chris Brazier, said progress had been made and that the council sympathised with residents’ concerns. A survey of trees at Birklands Meadow and Park had been undertaken to enable officers to plot locations of the trees with greater accuracy.

The county council said it would not object to the two TPOs, covering both the meadow and park.

However an order made in 1987 would be revoked as it had lapsed and could not be legally enforced.

TPOs prohibit the cutting down, uprooting, topping, lopping, wilful damage of or destruction of trees without the local planning authority’s consent.