A COUNCIL’S leadership has defended its environmental credentials after passing plans for 94 trees to be felled to make way for a housing development.

Members of Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet said the outcry over the first stage of Story Homes’ 59-home development at the former Blackwell Golf Club was misplaced as plans to fell trees had been made clear in the planning application “from day one”.

The development, which runs along Carmel Road South and will feature executive homes with a “green lung” passing through the centre of the site, was granted by the authority in December.

After work to start clearing the site started, residents expressed outrage. Clive Rickaby, said the work had left the area looking “like a hurricane or tornado has hit”, while others have complained Blackwell Meadows had been torn apart.

The authority’s leader, Councillor Bill Dixon, suggested some objectors to the work were hypocritical and claims that the council had “no regard for wildlife” could not be further from the truth.

The Labour member for Eastbourne ward said: “I don’t take criticism that we are some kind of tree butchers. Sadly, at times, trees do have to make way for houses. Let’s not forget that all the objectors are living in houses that at some point were somebody else’s view.

“Successive councils, going back to the 70s have protected trees and fauna in this borough to an extent that any other council in this country would be proud of.”

The meeting heard a number of the trees had been diseased and needed removal from a safety perspective.

Councillor Dixon told the meeting Darlington borough “probably has more tree preservation orders per head of population than anywhere else in the country”.

He said all the felled trees would be replaced, “not one for one, but the record of this authority is two or three to one” and that the public would benefit by having access to the land for the first time after building work was completed.

Councillor Dixon added he was concerned about plastic campaign notices had been nailed or trees or tied on with non-biodegradable tape.

Some members suggested residents should be given greater warning ahead of work to fell large numbers of trees.

Councillor Heather Scott, the Conservative group leader, said residents in Blackwell had repeatedly been offered information about the plans. She said: “It is unfortunate that this information was put out into the public arena and some people read it and some people don’t."