Traders frustrated felled trees remain on Plymouth's Armada Way

Felled trees are still on site at Armada Way three months after they came down

Traders in Plymouth are frustrated trees felled in the city centre in March have still not been cleared away.

Plymouth City Council said a court injunction and concerns about nesting birds are preventing them making progress in Armada Way.

Many trees were felled after Council leader Richard Bingley signed an overnight executive order, before a late injunction stopped the work.

Businesses said the mess in the area is putting off shoppers.

Shannon Moody, from the Oggy Oggy Pasty Company, said: "We've halved in customer size, it's crazy.

"Since the other day, since the fences have changed, it's slightly better but everyone is just so unhappy, it looks horrible out there, nobody likes to come and look at this."

Verity Jewill, from children's store Baby'Roo said: "We can literally see from our figures that the day the trees came down we had a busy day because everyone was coming to have a look.

"Then for a number of weeks after that point up until Saturday, Sunday our figures were down by between 20 and 25%."

Plymouth city council leader Tudor Evans said at a meeting on Monday evening plans for the area are being developed and include an extended play park using timber from the felled trees.

The Conservatives have put forward a motion urging the new administration to publish plans without delay.

'Redundant decision'

The furore over the tree cutting led to Mr Bingley's resignation.

At the full council meeting on Monday, Councillor Evans said he was now seeking to have the high-court injunction thrown out as it was "no longer relevant".

He added: "The legal action is based on a redundant decision. It is based on a decision that I have overturned."

Councillor Evans said the new design would include a new cycle path and the retention of 20 surviving mature trees.

He added: "Part of it is an expanded children's play park, we're hoping to be able to use timber from the felled trees.

"So it will be a memorial but also a very active space with a great dwell time for shoppers and visitors."

The redevelopment is designed to attract people to the city centre

He said tree stumps were due to be removed in the coming weeks.

Andy Lugger, Conservative councillor for Southway, added: "This is a key trading area and nobody will invest in it looking like this.

"There are shops in the area who cannot sign their commercial leases until there is some clarity."