RESIDENTS living next-door to a housing development have expressed their anger after trees were chopped down along the site's perimeter.

On Wednesday, contractors began work removing trees at a 75-home Bellway site in Heighington, situated on unused farmland between Walworth Road and Snackgate Lane.

A group of residents gathered at the site in protest, asking workers to pause cutting the trees as they claimed it was unclear whether those being felled were in keeping with the proposal agreement.

They said the agreement had outlined certain trees were not permitted to be chopped down and one resident contacted Darlington Borough Council to confirm what could be cut.

However, work on the landscape remained ongoing despite requests to pause.

One resident said: “Quite a few of us have been up in arms. It was passed for Bellway to be able to develop there but they had to keep the boundary hedges in keeping with the village, that was the agreement. It’s all been ripped out.

“A few of us went down to tell them to stop and give us a chance to speak but the guys in the field were told to just keep going."

Locals also expressed their anger at the destruction of habit for rare wildlife, such as owls in the area, and at the disruption caused by heavy wagons coming to and from the village.

Another resident added: “We didn’t do natural history but the hedges there are between 80 and 100 years old, and they just cut it down. We were told that wouldn’t happen.

“Obviously we have building going on at the end, so we have really, really large vehicles coming down this narrow road.

"One of the houses there had been knocked and the whole wall fell down, so they are concerned. They’ve also hit my wall with the wagons, so it’s not proving very popular.

“We had it out with them and they said they wouldn’t do this, but they’ve been all the way around the perimeter and cut down everything in sight.”

Councillor Gerald Lee, of the Heighington Ward, has since requested to see the policy and confirmed the trees being cut are in compliance with the agreed proposal.

He said: “There are certain conditions over what trees can be pulled out and what trees can remain. The local authority was informed and they sent out an officer to have a look.

“Where we were getting a little concerned is where the trees have not been maintained for a few years, and these people have chopped two or three metres off it so it looks very cropped.

"Yes, the hedges have been cut down, one or two trees have been removed, but it is all outlined in the planning conditions.

“The hedges are being cut for visibility for those who will be coming out of the estate, it is important that the visibility spaces are made so people can get out of there safely.”

Earlier this year, members of the Darlington Borough Council Planning Applications Committee voted in favour of the 75-home estate.

Around 31 formal letters of objection were submitted by residents including a statement from Heighington Parish Council.

Concerns were voiced over width standards of existing roads being unable to accommodate any additional vehicles that may come with the estate.

Bellway Housing were approached but were unable to provide a comment.