Nature-lovers have mounted a campaign to save trees on a major new housing development from the axe.

Residents will present a petition to councillors on Thursday in a bid to protect greenery on a 57-home site in Rosebay Avenue, Billericay.

Councillors on Billericay area committee will be asked to give the estate planning permission at their meeting.

Wimpey Homes also proposes to build new footpaths and access roads on the five-acre plot, between Mallow Gardens and Devereux Way.

Carol Dean, who lives in Rosebay Avenue, is optimistic councillors can be persuaded to support the campaign.

She said: "It's an old wood and we don't want to see it all cut down. I'm not opposed to the new development but I don't want to see all the trees go.

"There's also a lot of wildlife there which needs to be protected."

She has already collected three pages of signatures with her neighbour Nadia Wyatt and hopes to gather more before Thursday.

A Basildon Council spokesman said three trees on the site were covered by preservation orders and would not be affected by the development.

The council sold most of the land to Wimpey for £6 million last year but retained a small part.

Councillors at the meeting will have the power to make more preservation orders if they wish to.

Billericay East councillor Peter Patrick said he firmly supported the campaign.

He said: "It's a perfectly sound initiative and I'm all in favour.

"Not all the trees are deemedto be of great merit unfortunately but it's certainly worth pitching for."

If planning permission is granted Wimpey hopes to begin work on the four-bedroomed homes in February or March.

A spokeswoman said residents' concerns would be considered.

She added: "The majority of land owned by Wimpey is covered by scrubby vegetation which has no real amenity value.

"To the north of the site, the council's land is separated from Rosebay Avenue by a row of oak trees under the ownership of the council.

"There are also a number of trees on the northern edge of Wimpey's land, the majority of which are to be retained."

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