RESIDENTS living in a Speedwell tower block in Speedwell are furious after council contractors chopped down two mature trees from their communal garden to make way for a housing development.

They claim Bristol City Council promised the trees would be left alone and say they have already been put through enough after building works started in the summer.

But the council denies that the trees were ring-fenced and points out that 29 new trees will be planted as part of the scheme.

Twenty-two new homes are currently being built by Sovereign Housing Association on open space in the grounds of Roegate House, an 11-storey high-rise block of flats housing people over 50.

The scheme was given planning consent in 2009 despite resistance from nearby residents who believed it would cause traffic congestion and affect wildlife in the area.

The site for the new homes, which lies between Speedwell Road and Whitefield Avenue, is owned by the city council.

Retired publicans Jennifer Payne, 55, and her husband Chris, 56, were shocked when they looked out of their window on the block's third floor and saw the trees being chopped down.

"We didn't want the development in the first place but in the end we accepted it was going to happen," said Mrs Payne.

"There was a consultation and we were told that the five trees behind our building would not be touched.

"The council assured us of that, so we were flabbergasted to look out of our window and see two being taken down. It is such a shame because they are so beautiful and there's a lot of wildlife around them.

"We feel quite deceived."

Mrs Payne said that residents had already been put through enough since building works started in the summer, including noisy building works, builders' vehicles taking over their car park, and contractors coming and going, and that this was the last straw.

Another retired resident, Doreen Saunders, 79, who has lived in the building for the last 15 years, said: "The trees have been here as long as this block – around 40 years – and they are hugely valued by residents.

"They are mature trees and are lovely to look at from our building.

"It's just unbelievable that they're being taken away.

"It's so sad because they should have been left alone."

The housing association is building 12 homes fronting onto Speedwell Road and one four-bed home fronting onto Whitefield Avenue.

It also plans to build two terraces – one of four homes and another with five homes – where garages on the north of the site used to stand before they were demolished.

A city council spokesman said: "We can confirm that the two trees that were felled were always due to be removed, one of them due to poor health. However, a further 29 trees are due to be planted on the land, so there will be a large net gain."

A spokesman for Sovereign Housing Association said: "Sovereign has worked with Bristol City Council and our construction partners to protect the trees on this site as much as possible. The arboricultural report approved as part of the planning application identified that as many trees as possible on this site would be retained, and these have been protected during construction work.

"However, the planning permission for this site also approved the removal of two trees within the communal gardens of Roegate House, which was necessary to accommodate the new road.

"Sovereign takes its commitment to sustainable development very seriously and as part of the approved landscaping strategy for this site, we identified that we would replant 29 new trees within the overall development in lieu of the trees that needed to be removed.

"This landscaping with native species will attract wildlife into the area and make Roegate House an appealing place to live."