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Join us to protect our historic limes from 8am this Wednesday. It’s the first day of March and we think that the trees on The Walks should be preserved so they can spring back into life for nature and for the people of Wellingborough.

On Tuesday that’s exactly what our barrister, Paul Powesland did. He sprang to the rescue by challenging the legality of the contractors senseless and shameful destruction, and when ignored by Northants Police, he sprung up one of the 20 trees due to be removed as Northants Police cleared protesters from the designated work zone and sat in it all day to prevent further illegal felling. Click here to read all about it with the Northants Telegraph.

Mr Powlesland has been giving advice to Wellingborough campaigners, saying that in his legal opinion the felling is not lawful and has asked North Northants Council (NNC) and developers of Stanton Cross to engage with him.

And as if by magic, the rarest of beasts came out from behind the trees. NNC Leader Jason Smithers turned up to tell all that contractors were acting lawfully and that we shouldn’t be worried as the limes would not be lost, as they would be made into park benches for the town. We need to stop Jason’s magic.

A compromise to the conditions that Barrister Paul was arrested was met and he came down and was processed in a police van at dusk. Another day and just one tree lost this week to Bovis Homes contractors and the will of North Northamptonshire Council. Time to spring into action to stop more trees being cut down. See you from 8am…

Do join us if you can to save Wellingborough Walks on Tuesday. Protesters will be there again from 8am, with tree felling expected to start at 9:30 once they’ve closed the road. We expected carnage on Monday and it didn’t happen, let’s prevent them cutting down these beautiful healthy limes, that are full of bats, again.

Monday saw eager contractors hell bent on felling the limes on The Walks. The day had started early with protesters blocking lorries and access for the contractors to the site. Again many of us were threatened with arrest, but we did delay their lust to turn our trees into sawdust.

As protesters stood in front of lorries carrying equipment, behind the scenes evidence gleaned by local wildlife enthusiasts and points of law were being reviewed by Northants Police. The contractors from Bovis Homes however did later have to prove a point, by ripping the tops off two trees, which could be said to be the worst pollarding job ever.

Watch this special report by PurpleVision that includes all of Monday’s protests and our footage of the trees having their limbs being ripped off. As Purple says ‘at the end of Monday the Lime tree avenue stands proud for another day thanks to the efforts of the residents’. Tuesday is a new day and the battle to save our trees will continue. See you from 8:00am…

Another day of destruction today by eager contractors hell bent on felling the limes on The Walks. The day had started early with scores of protesters blocking lorries and access for the contractors to the site. Again many of us were threatened with arrest, but unfortunately due to this, we let the machine be unloaded that would be used in anger.

This time, in what very much seems to have been done to prove a point, two trees were literally ripped down this afternoon. The same machine that had been used to clear the site of chopped down trees last week was this time used to rip them apart. Here is a recording of the first of two trees being destroyed (with commentary about why and who is responsible):

Local campaigners have committed to continue their protests to save as many trees in The Walks as possible in London Road. On Monday the focus of the contractors turns to The Embankment area. These beautiful trees could all be gone by the end of the day; so we will all be there again from 8am to save our trees!

On Sunday we held a meeting in the car park of The Embankment to update everyone and to galvanise support to save the trees on the Nene side of the roundabout and end of The Walks. Over 70 concerned local people of all ages turned out to hear passionate speeches from Marion Turner-Hawes and Valerie Anslow.

After the meeting everyone held a vigil under the all but doomed trees, thronging along the roadside hand in hand, fully supported by passing drivers. PurpleVision captured this moment of reflection perfectly as he so often does. See https://fb.watch/jfymxY7gid/

You might ask why we carry on fighting to save our historic limes on The Walks, to protect all of the nature they support and the joy they have given to local people for over 100 years. Well for some inspiration the Northants Telegraph has captured the years of joy and life these pillars of Wellingborough have brought by clicking here.

Over 100 concerned local people rallied to prevent the destruction of the Wellingborough Walks lime trees this week, but the contractors still managed to cut down 14 healthy 80-100 year old trees. They were due to fell 38 this week and are coming back on Monday to cut down more on the Embankment side of the roundabout.

So protesters, lobbyists and campaigners are vowing to continue the fight to save our trees. We are meeting on Sunday 26th February, 4-5pm, in the Embankment Car Park by the threatened trees to hold a meeting about the next steps and then holding a Candlelight Vigil for the trees which might be felled on Monday. If you would like to see what you can do to help protect our historic limes please do come.

Here is some inspiration from one of the protesters that was arrested this week. Sherry and others put themselves in the way of the keen contractors to delay their attempts to destroy the Walks, and successfully did so until Wednesday afternoon until the police started dragging local people off to be arrested. But Sherry vows to continue the fight. Click here to read why in the Northants Telegraph.

See you on Sunday at 4…

Protesters will be attending from 9am this morning to hopefully save our trees and to ensure that the trees with bat’s aren’t felled. We lost 12 old lime trees on The Walks on Thursday, making it 14 felled in total. The contractors were due to fell 38 this week, so we have saved 24, so all are not lost yet, keep up the fight, join us if you can?

Here is a response from the Woodland Trust received after the trees were cut down yesterday:

Good afternoon,

Thank you for contacting us. We were so sorry to see the social media reports on the felling of the lime trees on Wellingborough Walks.

Sadly, in this case, as the Woodland Trust is a non-statutory consultee we are unable to intervene with direct action but we would suggest that local residents contact their councillors to exert pressure on the administration and its officers – the latter of which may be more responsive to those with a democratic mandate. Residents can also raise their concerns with the developer, and hopefully, this will help to secure a binding commitment to replace all trees lost. It would also be good to seek assurances that the promised tree planting referenced in the statement does happen – and that those trees are monitored and cared for to ensure they survive and thrive into the future.

We would also encourage residents to pressure the Local Planning Authority to appoint a person with the appropriate Tree expertise, such as a tree officer, and consider putting together a Trees and Woodland Strategy for their authority – details: A Trees and Woodland Strategy Toolkit for Local Authorities (treecouncil.org.uk).

In the meantime, the Woodland Trust is working hard behind the scenes to try to influence developers on a more strategic level and to seek assurances that future planning applications will be denied where significant tree loss, such as that at Stanton Cross, would be necessary.

Also, this week in the House of Lords the Woodland Trust chair Baroness Young is putting forward a series of amendments to the government’s Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill to strengthen and improve how Tree Preservation Orders work . The objectives of the amendments are to:

Embed existing good practice – eg in adopting a wider definition of ‘amenity’ and a proactive approach to protecting important trees.

Enable TPOs to be used to protect the deadwood habitat of ancient and veteran trees, as this is super valuable for nature.

To ensure TPO protection cannot be removed without good reason (uplift guidance into legislation)

Support enforcement – by creating a single offence and hopefully removing the burden to prove harm will be fully destructive to access larger fines commensurate with potential profits

Thank you again for getting in touch.

With kind regards.

On behalf of the Campaigns Team

Six more trees cut down so far taking the total to 8 felled so far, and it looks like several more are getting cut down today. No arrests and no police presence until we left. Such a terrible day for 100 years of history and nature in Wellingborough, all because of a failing unitary council’s lack of action and the greed of a pointless road development.

All back again tomorrow to see what’s left of the limes on The Walks.

Join us again after a very sad day, this Thursday Morning from 8am where we hopefully won’t allow any more trees to be cut down, or suffer heavy handed policing.

Local residents hoping to save an avenue of trees from developers’ chainsaws have been unable to stop the felling. After a long stand-off between protesters and construction contractors, Northants Police stormed in and arrested three people. A fourth was arrested later.

The tactics of the police today have been heavily criticised by Amnesty International, stating: ‘Arrests at an entirely peaceful protest by local residents trying to prevent the destruction of a large number of historically-important and protected trees appears ludicrously heavy-handed.’ Click here to read more.

It had looked as if clearance work would wait until risk assessments had been carried out but at about 1.30pm chainsaws sprung into action, swiftly downing two trees where the Victorian railings had been removed with an angle grinder.

Campaigner Marion Turner-Hawes said: “I’m just so devastated. I am angry the residents have been left to be the frontline. A full report from Allison Bagley of Northants Telegraph from Wednesday by clicking here. Here is their video of the first tree being felled.

Do join us this Thursday Morning from 8am to stop any more trees to being cut down. Don’t let North Northamptonshire Council, Bovis Homes and their contractors get away with this criminal vandalism.

Despite our best efforts to block their progress both physically and legally, North Northamptonshire Council and Bovis Homes contractors have successfully felled two of our mature limes on The Walks this afternoon. We have had four people arrested today, trying to defend our trees.

We have video evidence of this crime being committed and will be again seeking legal advice to see if we can convict those responsible for this environmental devastation. They have now ceased work for the day, we will all be back tomorrow to stop further trees being chopped down.

Stay of execution for another day, as protesters are threatened with arrest on Tuesday, but developers promise to start the destruction of the lime trees on the Walks on Wednesday. Can we stop the chop again? Protests start from 8:30am on the Embankment and Walks.

Arriving as the fencing was being erected on Tuesday North Northants councillor Tim Allebone (Con, Croyland and Swanspool) said: “We seem to be systematically trashing Wellingborough. I want as many trees as possible saving. I am not happy about this. I appreciate we need the eastern bypass but this is an historic established route into town. Attractive and perfectly healthy trees are being decimated.

Click here for a full report from Tuesday’s battle with North Northamptonshire Council and their developers.

This video shows the view from above of all the trees. Let’s keep up the fight to stop this unlawful destruction of our trees and historic Walks.