Trees cut down despite campaigners' protests
BBCTrees earmarked to be cut down as part of a cycleway scheme have started to be felled, despite campaigners efforts to protect them.
Clifford Bridge Road in Binley, Coventry, has been the site of a dispute between campaigners and the city council, which approved the felling plan to create the final section of a cycleway.
Protestors prevented work taking place on Thursday. However, workmen arrived early on Friday, with the BBC seeing three trees being felled and work beginning on two other trees.
The council said it was able to begin removal of the trees following the conclusion of a legal challenge.
Campaigners tried to hold onto and stand underneath the trees with some holding up protest signs.
They had previously taken the scheme to the High Court in a bid to save the trees, but their battle was unsuccessful.
Dawn McCann said residents were woken up by workers at about 06:00 GMT.
She went to stand under a tree and said she would stay at the scene as long as the workers were there.
Another resident expressed disappointment no councillors were at the scene while the work was being done.
A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said it would continue to follow due process to ensure the work could be completed in a timely manner.
The authority intends to plant 32 "semi-mature trees" to replace the 26 to be felled.
"The new trees that we plant along Clifford Bridge Road will be better suited to the street environment and they will be rooted in special tree-pits to ensure they thrive long into the future," the spokesperson said.
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