FOLLOWING two public protests which postponed work to cut down three trees in a Falmouth street, Cornwall Council has announced that their removal will be paused for at least three months.

There has been controversy in recent weeks after the council decided to fell the healthy lime trees, which are 60 years old, in Trelawney Road. The local authority said the trees were a “potential hazard” to residents and traffic.

A campaign group called Stop the Chop demanded to know the exact reason why the trees had to come down; something the council has yet to reveal. Protesters gathered early on Monday, March 17 when work was due to be carried out by the council’s highways wing Cormac to fell the huge trees.

Residents demanded to see an ecology report before the work was carried out. After a 90-minute impasse, Falmouth police inspector Rick Milburn told the crowd there wasn’t an ecology report and as a result had advised the council to postpone the work in order for talks to continue between all involved. The council later said there wasn’t a need for such a report but stressed that ecology tests had been carried out.

The work was due to recommence on Wednesday (March 26) but again was called off by police for public safety reasons after protesters climbed two of the trees. Now, following discussions with partners, Cornwall Council has decided to pause plans to remove three trees.

The council gave us the following statement after we asked to know exactly why the trees had to be chopped down and if it related to a neighbouring house, as many people have suggested.

A spokesperson said: “The decision follows the expression of strong community concerns regarding the work and will allow for a full review of the practical steps to carry out the works whilst being considerate of the legal constraints that the council is working within.

“The removal will now be paused for at least three months and any future work will require a new application for a road closure notice. Although we cannot comment further at present, Cornwall Council will be communicating with community representatives before finally deciding how to proceed.”

Inspector Milburn added: “We are working with the council and are supportive of the decision to take some time to consider how to proceed before any further action is taken.”

There will be a new administration at Cornwall Council by the time the work is due to restart. Campaigners wonder if that means new councillors will put pressure on the council to agree to a stay of execution.

This week’s protest was attended by renowned environmental lawyer Paul Powlesland, who told the crowd: “What this whole thing comes down to is these trees are in a conservation area, which means it would be unlawful for the council to fell them unless an exception applies. The crucial thing is the council are refusing to publicly disclose what that exception is, which is extraordinarily unhelpful and actually really quite outrageous.

“Who the hell do they think they are? They serve you and they can sit there in their offices and say that an exception applies to destroy these trees, but you’re the little people, they’re not going to tell you what it is, but they are going to try and use police officers to arrest you and physically force you away if you don’t move. I think that is outrageous and it’s also unusual.

“In all cases of tree felling I’ve been involved in, even when there’s serious anger between the two sides, the council will at least tell people what the basis is. It looks like what is being hinted at is some kind of issue around nuisance between these trees and a neighbouring house. There’s whisperings about a court order, a gagging order – the police have apparently seen it, some councillors have apparently seen it – but the council are not going to show it to you.”