DESPITE two much-publicised protests this year by environmental campaigners to save three much-loved trees in Falmouth, Cornwall Council is continuing with its bid to cut them down and has finally revealed why.

Representatives of a group called Stop The Chop! have battled to stop the council felling the 60-year-old lime trees in Trelawney Road, a residential street. Their planned removal was postponed again in March when protesters scaled the trees.

Campaigners have consistently asked the council for the legal reasons why the healthy trees have to come down, but with no answers so far. Last month Falmouth Town Council joined calls for an inquiry into the mystery of why they had to be chopped down.

Campaigners against the felling of trees in Falmouth sing their own version of Trelawny

Cornwall Council has released further details about the need to remove the trees. A spokesperson for the council said details of the damage caused by the trees, and why it is necessary to remove them, could not be shared at the time due to court proceedings, though it hasn’t shared details of the legal cases.

A statement by the authority said that following agreement with the relevant parties, it can share more details about the assessments and investigations that have taken place. Four trial pits and a site survey were undertaken in 2021 and 2022 to ascertain the extent of the damage.

The council said six separate services – including streetlight power cables, water pipes, and internet cables – run beneath the footpath between the boundary wall and the trees, where they are tangled with tree roots. The surface of the road and the footway have also been disrupted by roots, and kerbs have been removed because they were unsafe.

Trelawney Road in Falmouth was closed for the three trees to be felled - though it didn\'t eventually happen.
Trelawney Road in Flamouth was closed for the three trees to be felled. (Picture: Lee Trewhela / LDRS)

The statement said: “The council has investigated options to retain the trees while preventing further damage – including the installation of root barriers – but due to the utilities under the footpath, this would not be possible. The roots of the trees have caused – and are still causing – serious damage to infrastructure, nearby land and property. As a result, the council is legally required to remove them.”

The council added that arrangements will be made for the three trees to be removed safely and for four new trees to be planted on the street.

Members of Stop The Chop! have been contacted for their response, but they said they are currently not in a position to comment. However, they will release a statement following a meeting this afternoon.

Protest organiser Debs Newman, left, and Sarah McDiarmid by one of the trees which has survived to see another day .
Protest organiser Debs Newman and Sarah McDiarmid. (Picture: Lee Trewhela / LDRS)

Cllr Dan Rogerson, Cornwall Council’s Cabinet member for transport, said: “We understand how much these trees mean to the local community. It’s been frustrating for all of us that we couldn’t share more details sooner, but we had to respect the legal process.

“We value the role trees play in our towns and neighbourhoods – for wildlife, wellbeing and climate. That’s why we’ve planted over 1.6 million trees through our Forest for Cornwall programme.

“We always look for ways to protect and preserve trees wherever we can. But in this case, the damage to nearby property, public infrastructure and essential services leaves us with no safe or viable alternative.”