Following a number of trees being felled on a Stoke-on-Trent estate, campaigners have started a petition to protect green spaces and stop potential development.

At the end of September trees were felled on a well used greenspace on Canberra Crescent.

The greenspace on Canberra Crescent in Meir was home to oak, willow and ash trees since the estate was constructed over 40 years ago. Now the petition seeks to protect Meir Park greenspaces that are privately owned from future development. 

The trees that were felled did not have a tree protection order (TPO) which would have protected them from being cut down. Now campaigners are calling for a blanket TPO for all the trees on the estate.

Residents descended on the greenspace to try and prevent the trees being felled (LDRS).

Currently the petition has been signed by more than 200 people. Petition organiser Alison Dhatt said: "For us as a community in Meir Park we don't want any development on that land. We feel it's right in the middle of the estate.

"The green land there was used for communal purposes, dog walking, children playing and people just enjoying the area really. We feel like if that area was developed it would cause a lot more traffic on the bottom end of Meir Park and we just feel like it would just be an overdevelopment of the area."

It is understood that The Forestry Commission is currently investigating the tree felling and have already assessed and marked the trees. Under UK law Up to 5 cubic metres of timber may be felled each calendar quarter without a felling licence.

She continued: "Meir Park is already a big estate, with quite a lot of traffic and congestion anyway; getting on and off at certain times of the day. The petition really is to say as a community we don't want that area built on."

Anybody who wants to sign the petition can do so here.

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