CONCERNS about the wholesale loss of trees between Wellington Recreation Ground and the town’s rugby club were allayed this week.
The rugby club is redeveloping a field it bought from Beech Grove School in order to add a second playing pitch and has been felling trees on its boundaries.
One of the lost trees was a standalone willow, while others were in a belt between the field and a nature reserve area in The Basins.
The club is re-orienting a pitch for young members to play matches which has involved extending the playing area into the belt of trees.
In total, 19 trees will be lost, including some along the boundary with the recreation ground, which the club said were all at the end of their life anyway.
It said three or more new trees would be planted for each one lost, including goat willow, hawthorn, hazel, native alder, field maple, and oak.
The club’s original proposals in 2021 drew public ire when it was revealed there had been secret discussions for three years with the former district council to allow part of the nature reserve to be destroyed to extend the rugby field without even submitting a planning application.
A public campaign against it saw hundreds of people sign a protest petition and eventually consultation took place and a planning application was submitted, an amended version of which was approved last summer.
Work on the development then began in January.
Wellington town Cllr Janet Lloyd expressed dismay that the ‘beautiful willow’ and other mature trees had been removed, although she had been told the willow was ‘split’.
Cllr Lloyd said: “At least one positive outcome in all of this is that the community woodland area at The Basins has been protected.”
Fellow town Cllr Mike McGuffie said: “It is sad to see some mature trees being cut down to make more room for pitches as they provide valuable habitat for birds, bats, etc.
“But it is good to see development at the rugby club as it is recognised as being of great benefit to young people and the town as a whole.
“And it is good that the adjoining local nature reserve is being preserved in its entirety following consultation with local people.”
Cllr McGuffie said he was not aware of any plans by the rugby club to plant new trees either on the site or within the wider town, but he believed councillors would be interested in helping to support a replanting proposal.
Rugby club secretary Ashley Colman said: “We are very much a community-based club.
“We have amended our plans two or three times to allay any fears people have.
“This will give us extra facilities which we are absolutely desperate for so our players can play matches, both juniors and seniors.”
Mr Colman said the club had only removed the trees which it was permitted to do as part of its planning permission and the new planting was about to start in the next few weeks.