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Mum says she will spend Christmas day up a tree

John Devine/BBC Hazel Harwin, 61, has black hair over her shoulders with a fringe across her forehead, she is wearing a black leather type jacket with white jumper underneath. Behind her is 9m (30ft) tall horse chestnut tree she is planning to sit in on Christmas day to try and gain more signatures for a petition she started to save it and others along Barkers Lane, where she lives.John Devine/BBC
Hazel Harwin, 61, said her own children played on the tree growing up and she was proposing to sit in the old horse chestnut to gain more signatures for her petition to save it

A woman said she would forgo her Christmas day lunch with her family to sit in a tree in order to try and save it from for being felled near her home.

Hazel Harwin, 61, lives in Barkers Lane in March, Cambridgeshire, where a new 130-house development was proposed. Under the plans, trees and hedges would be cleared to facilitate a wider pedestrian path and cycle way.

Mrs Harwin has fond memories of her children playing in the tree and said they had protection orders and should not be lost due to them supporting a vast array of wildlife.

Fenland District Council said tree protection orders could be overturned if a scheme was believed to be more beneficial to the wider community.

John Devine/BBC A horse chestnut tree about 9m (30 ft) high the tree is just behind a 1.5m (5ft) high black metal fence, there is a red banner, the wording to small to read highlighting the fact Mrs Harwin is trying to save it, buildings behind the tree are part of the Neale-Wade Academy, a large secondary school in March.John Devine/BBC
The 9m (30ft) horse chestnut tree is just inside the perimeter fence of the Neale-Wade Academy, on Barkers Lane where Mrs Harwin lives

"My children climbed this tree", said Hazel Harwin, 61, who has lived on Barkers Lane for more than 30 years.

One of the trees Mrs Harwin was trying to save is in the grounds of the Neale-Wade Academy, behind a 1.5m (5ft) high fence, and about 1m (3ft) from the verge on Barkers Lane.

The school has been contacted for comment.

"I know I will be technically trespassing when my husband sets up a ladder and I climb up into the tree, but if anyone says I can't be there, I'll just sit on the verge on Barkers Lane," she said.

John Devine/BBC White banner about 2m (6ft) long and 1m (3ft) wide with blue printed writing saying, 'SAVE OUR TREES-FDC (Fenland District Council) are allowing these trees to be felled-TPO's (tree protection orders) don't matter. There are some trees behind the sign and part of the Neale-Wade Academy can be seen too.John Devine/BBC
The trees are in the grounds of the Neale-Wade Academy in March, with Barkers Lane to the right. Mrs Harwin had banner made to highlight her concerns

A petition recently set up by Mrs Harwin opposing the clearing of trees and hedges along Barkers Lane has gained more than 500 signatures, and she will present it to Fenland District Council, and their planning team, in the New Year.

Fenland District Council said the purpose of tree preservation orders were to ensure that unauthorised works or felling were not undertaken and that any such works were considered in the appropriate manner.

It said in certain instances, the loss of protected trees can be deemed necessary to facilitate the wider delivery of development and the benefits which this may bring.

In regard to Bakers Lane, council documents showed some, but not all of the tree, could need to be removed to facilitate increasing the width of the road.

The impact of this on the character of the area was discussed within the committee report and during the Planning Committee meeting, as were the benefits of delivering the development.

Councillors concluded further work was needed to establish in more detail which trees may need to be removed and to protect those which stay, if the plans were approved.

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