Petition against warehouse tree felling plans reaches 100,000

More than 100,000 people have signed a petition to stop 67 mature oak trees being felled when a large warehouse is built near Basingstoke.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council approved the plans in April, though later temporarily revoked the decision.

Proposed changes to the application will now be discussed by the authority's development control committee on 27 October.

Land at Oakdown Farm on the A30 has been chosen for the development.

Christine Northam, from the Clean Air Green Environment (CAGE) group, is presenting the petition to the council.

She said: "102,000 people desperately want to save these oaks. It's so important that we save them for future generations, and that we also preserve the eco-systems that exist here."

The 271,000 sqm "storage and distribution hub" will be located near the village of Dummer, off junction 7 of the M3.

The Basingstoke Gazette has reported the facility will be an Amazon warehouse.

Amazon told the BBC it does not comment "on rumour and speculation".

Newlands Developments, the developer behind the project, has so far declined to comment.

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