Plymouth City Council pauses plans to fell city centre trees

Protesters have asked Plymouth City Council to reconsider chopping down trees along Armada Way

Plans to remove and replace more than 100 trees in Plymouth city centre as part of a regeneration project have been paused.

Plymouth City Council originally wanted to cut down 136 out of 153 trees along Armada Way and replace them with 164 new ones.

The plans sparked environmental concerns among campaigners.

Councillor Jonathan Drean, cabinet member for transport, told the council a "short pause" had been agreed.

Members of the Save the Trees of Armada Way campaign group held a demonstration outside the council office before the meeting.

"Councillor Jonathan Drean announced in full council that the council has agreed to a short pause so that the concerns raised by the community can be considered before the design is complete," a council spokeswoman said.

"He also confirmed that no further trees will be removed while options are considered and the design finalised."

Plymouth City Council said no further trees would be felled until the design is finalised

Chanting "stop the chop", protesters said the plans would damage the environment and hamper the city's climate change initiatives.

Lisa Edwards, who founded the group, said there was "no mention" of the trees being felled during a preliminary consultation in 2018.

"I think they have failed the people of Plymouth with what is really a large scheme to remove nearly 140 largely healthy trees," she said.

"It's the heart and lungs of the city centre.

"Putting in ping pong tables or pretty flower beds, we don't need that - we need the trees, the environment needs the trees."

The council had said only 22% of the trees were suitable for long-term retention.

But Mr Drean told the BBC he was "seeking clarification that the trees are in the state that we're being told".

Asked whether the council could try to find a "middle ground", he said: "That's a possibility and I will be talking to the team about that.

"I would like to hope that we can come to some sort of mutual understanding and find a middle point [or] middle ground to try and get the scheme through, but also take on the concern their consideration for the trees."