RESIDENTS have saved three mature trees from being felled and protected their future after Preservation Orders were placed on them.

More than 20 Petersfield residents, many from Grenehurst Way, launched a successful campaign to prevent the felling of a False Acacia and two Western Red Cedars.

The trees at The Old College in College Street were in the grounds of the former school that backed on to Grenehurst Way.

The campaign was launched after the owner of The Old College applied to the South Downs National Park for permission to fell the trees.

In his application to the national park planners, Paul Fisher said the trees were not home to bats, and that he planned to plant replacement trees in his grounds.

As part of the campaign, local environmental activist Melanie Oxley said: “It ought to be obvious to everybody that all trees are precious.

“The science tells us conserving mature trees is essential for the future existence of the human race.

“Over their lifetime, large trees will have locked up tonnes of carbon, extracted from CO2 in the atmosphere.

“They also provide landscape or amenity value, biodiversity value, and other ecosystem services such as flood amelioration and local cooling and shade”.

In September the three trees were subject to pruning and had limbs removed, and at the same time three nearby Red Oaks, a Holly and a Sycamore were felled.

To the promise of new trees to be planted in mitigation, Melanie added: “Mature trees are more useful to us than young trees.

“Promises to plant young trees are as disingenuous as the notion of ‘offsetting’ the carbon you burned on your last flight.

“You can’t put back what you have already spent.”

The environmental activists also asked Petersfield Town Council to back their campaign.

In response, town councillors objected to the proposed felling since this could jeopardise the future of similar trees in the area, such as the Grenehurst Way Giant Sequoia.

Following the town council’s objection, East Hampshire District Council tree officers revisited the site and requested Tree Preservation Orders be placed on the trees, which has now been done by the South Downs National Park Authority.

The Petersfield Society also opposed the felling.

Dr Andy Moffat of the society’s Green Infrastructure Group said: “We already know from the 2016 iTree Survey that Petersfield has inadequate tree cover.

“It is therefore vital that applications like this are examined meticulously, are measured against the wider climate and nature crisis, and given due regard for public benefit.”

On December 18, plans to fell the trees were withdrawn, but the activists say they are now protected for their lifetimes by the Preservation Orders.

The campaigners now hope all Petersfield residents will help protect mature trees from felling.

They do this by requesting planning notifications and by asking that Preservation Orders are placed on local trees.