I WOULD like to take this opportunity to set out the facts regarding the loss of two trees at Connaught Court.

City of York Council is committed to protecting York's environment. When the authority received an outline planning application for the development of the site in 2003, we served protection orders on most trees on the site to ensure they would not be affected by any future development.

However, detailed, independent studies carried out after the initial order showed that two of the trees were structurally unsound.

Our primary concern, even in the case of protected trees, has to be the health and safety of residents and, because of the potential risks, approval was given to fell them.

As the trees were protected, the council has made sure that new trees - woodland species of a similar stature such as oak, hornbeam or horse chestnut - will be planted in the same place.

The new trees will be automatically protected by the same tree protection order which covered the trees that were removed.

While I can appreciate the depth of feelings that local residents in particular had for the trees, we cannot allow this to cloud our judgement of the health and safety risks of ageing and unstable trees.

Mike Slater,

Assistant director of planning and sustainable development,

City of York Council,

St Leonard's Place,

York.

Updated: 10:27 Thursday, October 07, 2004