The last 14 lime trees that line the north side of Lord Mayor's Walk beside York St John University may have to be cut down.

The university has applied to City of York Council for permission to fell the trees, claiming they are decayed and unsafe. It says it will replace them with 'semi-mature' lime trees of a different species that will create a permanent lime avenue on the road for future generations.

But the plans have prompted several objections, including from Treemendous, the voluntary group dedicated to planting trees in the city.

"These mature trees line the pavement close to traffic (and) are a part of York city's landscape," the group tweeted.

Cllr Paula Widdowson, the council's executive member for environment and climate change, has also objected.

She said she had asked council tree experts to look into why the university wanted to cut the trees down. There may be a good reason, she said - but the council would want to make up its own mind."

"These are beautiful trees," she said. "We've got two extremely experience arborculturalists, and they will go and have a look."

Robb Scott, York St John's gardens and sports ground manager, said in his application for permission to fell the trees that they were decayed and in a 'poor and dangerous state' because of being severely pruned in the 1970s.

York Press:

Location of the 14 lime trees that York St John University wants to cut down

The university had drawn up a long-term plan in 2009 to gradually replace the trees, Mr Scott said. "We felt doing this work over a long period would reduce them visual impact." 

There were 33 mature lime trees in the original row. Of these, 14 were felled in 2011. Five more were cut down in 2019, a couple of years after a large branch fell off one tree. Now the university wants to cut down the final 14 trees.

Mr Scott said a new row of lime trees had been planted five meters back from the road many years ago as a 'future replacement'.

In 2020, five lime trees of a different species were planted as replacements for the five cut down in 2019. And if the council gives permission for the remaining 14 original trees to be cut down, seven more limes will be planted to replace them. They will be more widely spaced to give the trees a chance to grow better.

A spokesperson for York St John said the decision to seek permission to cut down the trees had not been taken lightly.

"It is gutting to have to do this," she said. "Nobody is happy about it."

Mr Scott added: "It has been a long and difficult decision to remove the mature lime trees, but we are confident that by removing the old trees and planting healthy new ones, we will preserve the tree-lined avenue of Lord Mayor’s Walk for future generations."