I WRITE following your report on the trees that have been felled by the side of the girls' grammar school playing fields - this is a long and complicated saga.

Originally, the new path was to go either side of the line of trees and we stipulated this in order to preserve them. However, after the plans were drawn up 23 out of the 36 trees were felled because they had a disease known as 'bleeding canker'.

At the time, we contributed £50 of our own money to an independent tree survey to try to save the trees - but it came up with a worse report about the trees' health than that done by the council.

After the trees were felled, council engineers came up with a new design for the cycle path that involved widening it and taking down nine further trees. This had the advantage that much less of the playing field was used than for the previous scheme.

However, as ward councillors, we then found ourselves in a difficult position - either we had to oppose the cycle path or consent to the trees coming down.

If the trees did come down in a year or two because of the disease we would be left in the worst of all worlds, we would have no cycle path and there would be no money to replant the trees. Reluctantly, therefore, we agreed to the following:

We consented to nine trees coming down but only if a new mixed hedge was planted and a new line of oak, maple and ash trees planted within the hedge. This will be done in the autumn, the best time for establishing new trees.

Rest assured, we will make sure it is done even of we have to do it ourselves!

Cllr Jon Barry, Castle Ward.