Developers at the former Black Notley Hospital site have lopped protected trees without permission, Braintree councillors heard this week.

At Tuesday's meeting of the Braintree area planning committee, members were told that McLean Homes had lopped two Lombardy poplars after a misunderstanding.

A site manager thought he could proceed with the work after being issued with a drawing.

Cllr Peter Turner urged the committee to reject a retrospective application to fell the trees.

He said: "These trees have been an important landscape feature for many years and should be retained. Considerable anger has already been expressed by the local community at the felling and damage to mature trees on the site.

"Of course we expect some disruption, but the unnecessary destruction of trees makes us angry. We don't even know how many trees have already gone because we can't get access to the site.

"It is vital that we improve safeguards to protect the remaining mature trees on this site. The poplars are part of a group of trees on the site which includes lime and cypress.

A second application to remove a further four poplars has been withdrawn.

Supporting officers' recommendation that permission be refused to fell the poplars, but be granted for remedial tree surgery to be done, Cllr David Mann said: "There has been a great deal of confusion about these trees.

''This has been a public relations disaster for the developer and I believe that the fear of this happening again will be sufficient to ensure that the developers pay more attention in future."

The felling of trees at the site has caused considerable concern in Black Notley.

A public meeting called by the parish council attracted 50 people, while the district council has received a 75-name petition objecting to the removal of trees.

McLean are among developers building 350 houses on the 45-acre site. The design brief promises to retain the original layout of the site, some buildings and many of its mature trees.

A fifth of the spacious grounds have been saved for public open space. There are also plans to build a garden in the grounds as a permanent reminder of the institution that once stood there.

The hospital closed last year, after almost a century of service.

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