ONE of the most attractive belts of trees in Hexham is facing its Waterloo – despite being covered by a tree preservation order.

The contentious plan by developers Jomast, to build 37 houses on land between Hexham Golf Club and Tynedale Cricket Club, could see all the mature trees on the bankside behind the cricket pavilion and the large trees on the affected golf club land felled.

Despite the preservation order, forester Mike Jackson told Monday’s meeting of Hexham Town Council that planning officials were prepared for the trees to be sacrificed to allow the scheme to proceed.

Mr Jackson said: “This year, as we know, is the 200th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo.

“In my opinion, many of the older trees were in existence and growing at that time, so surely it is wrong to destroy them.”

He claimed that planning officers had not fully informed the public about the potential destruction of the trees, as a result of which he has lodged a formal complaint against the county council for maladministration.

Mr Jackson stressed he was not opposed to houses being built on the site, as the development would secure the financial future of both the cricket club and golf club for the forseeable future.

However, he said the proposed access to the development from Eilansgate was unacceptable to everyone except planning officers.

He argued there were at least two alternative access points, which had not been considered by the land owners, which would enable the land to be developed in a far more sensitive way.

The Eilansgate entrance would no longer be necessary, and the threatened trees could survive.

Mr Jackson claimed that his 50 years’ experience as a forester told him the proposal, as submitted by the developer, would result in the felling of all the trees currently growing on the site.

He said: “The reason I am sure they will all need to be felled is that due to the severe side slope on the site, major earthworks and re-profiling will be necessary to form the base of the access road and the house foundations.

“The underlying substrata is sand and gravel, which is inherently unstable.”

On September 8 this year, as a result of a recommendation in a report by the county council’s own tree officer, John Alderson, a tree preservation order was confirmed covering all the trees on the site except one.

The reason given was: “The trees are highly visible and make a significant and positive contribution to the visual amenity of the area.”

Mr Jackson said: “Despite this, planning officers indicated that they would ignore it and recommend approval of the scheme, because on balance, the benefits of the scheme would outweigh the harm that would be caused by the loss of the trees.”

Mr Jackson noted that planning officers had not even asked for a definitive list of trees to be retained or felled, which is standard practice and had been requested by several local objectors, nor had they asked for a landscape architect’s report.

He concluded: “I find it a total contradiction that planning officers agree to the issuing of a TPO and then ignore it.”

Mr Jackson’s concerns about the Eilansgate access were echoed by Coun. Terry Robson, who said that using an alternative access from the Tyne Green area would not only remove a potential traffic hazard, but also improve access to the town council’s own allotments.

Jomast says the proposed new estate would attract private sector investment of around £4.2m into the local economy and support 25 direct construction jobs and 37 indirect supply chain jobs per year throughout the two-year building period.

The houses would go on surplus land incapable of use by any of the sporting groups, and when occupied, would support the viability of shops and services in the area and help to create five jobs.

However, more than 30 objections have been lodged with Northumberland County Council against the scheme, which is likely to be determined at the council’s strategic planning meeting in Morpeth on November 3.