Anger over felled trees

Residents in Eastville are calling for Bristol City Council to take action over a piece of land where 70 trees were chopped down without permission.

People living in Ashdene Avenue say the privately-owned plot which fronts their road has been an eyesore for the past 20 years.

The land is occupied by two semi-detached houses which were never finished and has been a target for fly-tippers and squatters over the years.

Residents say things came to a head a fortnight ago when workmen chopped down more than 70 trees on the land, which is next to Eastville Park.

They hacked at 35-year-old ashes, oaks, birches and hawthorn and left many of them lying on the ground, without permission for felling from the Forestry Commission.

The Commission and Bristol City Council investigated after residents complained.

Now the landowner could face prosecution, because no licence was in place to fell so many trees.

Bristol City Council reacted by placing tree preservation orders on the remaining trees in the wood in a bid to protect them against further felling.

The land borders large badger setts and supports a lot of other wildlife, including owls, according to the Bristol Parks Forum.

Householders say they have never been kept informed of what has been planned for the land and have never met the owners.

Some residents fear the trees have been cleared to pave the way for more homes to be built. One woman living in the street, who asked not to be named, said: "We just want the area tidied up.

"At one point, the two empty houses were taken over by travellers and there were more than 20 vans parked on the land. It took a year to get the squatters out.

"Lorries have driven up into our cul-de-sac and dumped rubbish and a mound of rubble and soil has been piled up into a mound, spoiling the view for some of the residents.

"Now this piece of woodland has been decimated. No-one has the right to just decide that they will cut down dozens of well-established trees."

According to Land Registry records from 2007, the rectangular piece of land, listed as 11,13, and 15 Ashdene Avenue, is owned by Alice Elisabeth Baisley.

She is listed as living in the US city of Denver and has a 'care of' address in Hanham.

The Evening Post was unable to contact Ms Baisley for a comment.

Earlier this year, work was completed on one of the houses on the land.

But neighbours say they don't know if the other two homes, branded 'ghost houses' with their smashed windows and boarded-up doors, will ever be finished. Residents believe the council should either force the developer to tidy the land or buy the land from the landowner.