PROBLEM trees are to be tackled in a set of council cutbacks aimed at improving the borough.

But the £30,000 pruning scheme has been criticised by the leader of the opposition on Hyndburn Council as a waste of money.

The money came from a £220,000 windfall given to the council from central government for overpayment of council tax on two sports centres in the mid -1990s .

The money went on decreasing this year's council tax rise from 4.8 to 3.9 per cent, raising area council spending by £16,800, removing council efficiency targets and creating a £123,200 Action Fund for schemes such as the pruning.

The move comes after a number of residents in Wood Nook, Bollough Park and Lane Side Estate sent petitions to the council to have something done.

Cabinet Coun David Myles said that the problem came from a number of trees planted when the houses were built. He said they were unsuitable for the area and had grown too big. He said the council would invite people to put in requests about individual trees and would not go around chopping trees down without asking other residents' views.

But Tory opposition leader Coun Peter Britcliffe said: "I think when one looks around at the roads and pavements and the better uses it could have been put to, like cleansing, it seems very expensive.

"Trees are an emotional subject, but they can cause problems, their roots get under roads and houses and there is an issue where light can't get into houses.

"But £30,000 is a lot of money, do we need that sort of amount with the state of the borough as it is in terms of housing and cleansing." Coun Myles said: "We've had this problem for quite a few years, but nothing has been done because there was no money available.

"Now with this extra money we can do something. Some of the trees are 60-80ft tall. But we will not just go around chopping trees down without doing some proper consultation; for every person who wants a tree down there will be another who doesn't.

"We will also be planting another tree in its place."

Andrew Hayhurst, the borough council's Development Officer, said: "There are certain tree types that we would not put in. They are inappropriate, some of the estates are 50 years old and the trees are reaching maturity, we will not plant just one species or gender, we want to encourage biodiversity and wildlife."