A YEAR-long battle by Falmouth residents and environmental campaigners was lost today when Cornwall Council chopped down three much-loved street trees.

Police officers, security guards, council workers and around 40 protesters attended Trelawney Road in the town as the council’s proposal to fell three healthy lime trees finally took place.

The work to cut down the trees was not without incident. One of the lead protesters was dropped by police officers while being carried away from the scene, banging her head on the pavement. She and others are now saying the battle is not over and have accused the council of carrying out the work illegally, something the local authority denies.

The proposal to fell the 60-year-old trees has been mired in controversy with different reasons being given for why they had to be removed from Trelawney Road. It was finally revealed the council had entered into an out-of-court settlement with the owners of a neighbouring property, to the suggested tune of £107,000 – a figure which has never been denied by the council. A ‘secret’ confidential agreement meant the council has never been able to disclose the exact reasons why the trees had to be cut down, which has angered locals.

However, a senior council officer revealed at a public meeting last week that roots from all three trees were damaging the neighbouring house. Cornwall Council strategic director Phil Mason admitted the council had made mistakes when it came to handling the issue and went as far as saying that the local authority should never have entered into the confidential agreement. However, he maintained that the trees still had to be felled within the terms of the Highways Act.

Police officers arrived at Trelawney Road at around 3am today (Monday, December 8) as workers from Cornwall Council’s highways maintenance company Cormac arrived to erect safety fencing and start the job of taking off branches with chainsaws before the trunks were removed.

At around 7am, Debs Newman – one of the main drivers of the Stop the Chop! campaign – was carried away from the scene by officers after attempting to defend the trees. Video footage captures the moment she was dropped and hit her head on the ground. She can be seen crying out in pain as fellow protesters ask for an ambulance to attend.

A statement by Devon and Cornwall Police says: “Officers were deployed to Falmouth today to facilitate a planned protest which related to the felling of some trees on Trelawney Road. Around 40 protesters were involved in the demonstration.

“Officers attended in order to enable peaceful protest and facilitate lawful activity from Cornwall Council. One protester was subject to a use of force from officers after allegedly trying to access a secured area despite warnings not to do so.

“During this incident, the protester fell to the floor and suffered a bump to the head. She was checked over at the scene by the ambulance service and did not require further treatment.

“A complaint has been made in relation to this which will be investigated in due course. No arrests were made.”

After returning to the street a couple of hours later, Ms Newman was asked how she felt as the chainsaws worked on felling the trees behind her. “I actually feel sick to the stomach,” she said.

“I can’t believe that Cornwall Council have behaved in the way that they have for the past year. Phil Mason admitted at a meeting last week that Cornwall Council made mistakes and hadn’t followed the guidance on the duty to consult, and is still maintaining that what they are doing is lawful.”

She commented on being dropped by police officers: “I’m probably not being as coherent as I normally would be – it’s really quite hard to focus at the moment – because my head is hurting. I can’t really remember what happened. One minute I was okay and the next I was on the ground and my head really hurt. It felt like there was a crack and bump.”

We asked Ms Newman what was next for the campaigners. “It’s certainly not over. There is a case that is going to continue going on with Cornwall Council.

“Cornwall Council had better watch their backs, because heads are going to roll.”

The campaigners had enlisted leading barrister and founder of Lawyers for Nature, Paul Powlesland, who previously attended one of the protests organised by Stop the Chop! campaigners and has said the council’s plan to fell the trees is unlawful.

Town mayor Cllr Alan Jewell arrived at Trelawney Road as the trees were coming down. “This is a sad day for trees in Falmouth,” he said. “As a town council, we’ve tried our hardest to negotiate with the Cornwall Council, but to no avail, and here we are, this is the result.

“The trees should still be there and there could have been a way around it. Cornwall Council have messed up this time.”

Asked if he thought the fight against Cornwall Council’s decision to chop down the trees would carry on, he added: “I think it will. This isn’t the end of it. I mean, you just look around you - see what the cost has been to the taxpayer and to these trees. It’s not right.”

Falmouth councillor Laurie Magowan added: “There’s a lot of anger and sadness as you’d imagine. It’s been exceptional how hard people have come together to try and stop this from happening over the past year.

What’s his take on the opinion that Cornwall Council has been unlawful while undertaking the procedure? “Their interpretation of the Highways Act as the justification of felling the trees is something they have maintained and, at the recent public meeting, defended.

“Campaigners and other legal interpretations of it is that there has been a breach of the Highways Act and the works taking place aren’t legal. I’m not a lawyer, but there’s clearly different strong views on both sides of the argument.”

It is understood that the trunks of the Trelawney trees have been promised for use by Falmouth University art students. They will be replaced by four new trees, which are around 4.5m to 5m in height and will be installed in new tree pits.

We have asked Cornwall Council for a reaction to today’s felling.