A group of south Liverpool residents say they are deeply concerned about plans to chop down 19 trees in their local area.
Last year Liverpool City Council approved plans to erect a new boundary wall at the Carnatic Halls site in Mossley Hill. Carnatic Halls is a former University of Liverpool halls of residence site that was put up for sale for development in 2020.
The approved plans came from Bellway Homes and the university and resulted in permission being granted for the building of a new boundary wall at the western boundary of the site.
READ MORE: Row erupts as Labour denies councillor is behind troll account after deleted tweet
The proposal includes the removal of the existing wall, construction of a 2m wide foundation which supports concrete prefabricated retaining wall units which will be faced with reclaimed bricks tied to the retaining units. This will result in the loss of a total of 19 trees.
A number of local people are deeply unhappy with the planned removal of the trees, with several living in the nearby area saying they were not consulted on the plans before they were passed through the council.
One local resident Ed Connole said: "I don’t understand why some of the community were consulted regarding this action and others were ignored. Surely if you’re going to have a community consultation, you consult the whole community, you don’t pick and choose. I’m shocked at the laissez faire attitude to the felling of so many trees which are hundreds of years old."
Mr Connole added: "We should all be more concerned with the environment these days and that starts at a local level. This seems excessive to say the least."
Another resident, Jennifer Kale added: "Sadly this goes in hand in hand with the disregard for the area’s heritage. Increasing numbers of sandstone walls in this community in recent years have been dismantled."
The group raised concerns about wildlife such as bats that could be impacted by the removal of the trees.
In its planning report, officers said that a roost assessment found that no evidence of bat use or presence was found, and that all structures and trees in the area have 'negligible potential as roosting sites in line with best practice guidelines.'
READ NEXT
Paedophile who sexually abused six children dies less than a year into sentence
Scouser who played for Everton and Liverpool delivered Wrexham's Hollywood ending
Row erupts as Labour denies councillor is behind troll account after deleted tweet
Ten minutes that changed Paul Russell's life after Thomas Cashman murdered Olivia
