COUNCIL bosses have been accused of municipal vandalism, after plans were revealed to cut down more trees in Clitheroe.

Members of Ribble Valley Borough Council's planning and development committee were asked for permission to remove a stone wall, railings and vegetation to help improve the safety of a car park.

Council bosses claim the wall and trees need to be removed to ensure proposed CCTV cameras can see into every possible area of the car park in Lowergate.

But councillors claimed that removing the trees and the wall would make little difference to the camera's viewing scope.

The plans come just weeks after a storm of protest erupted over chopping down more than 20 trees around Clitheroe Castle.

The wall, states the report, is of little historical importance because it does not feature on the 1886 map of the town.

Coun Frank Dyson said: "I think this is just municpal vandalism. One day it is selective planting, the next it is removal of vegetation. I find it hard to believe how it can improve the safety of pedestrians.

"These trees help make Clitheroe an attractive place because they break up the greyness of the general build. And I am amazed officers try to justify knocking down a wall on the grounds it was not on the 1886 map. Beware people of Clitheroe, anything built after 1886 is liable to be knocked down."

A council spokesman explained that the only way the Lowergate car park could comply with 'secured by design' status was if the trees and wall were removed to eliminate blindspots for the CCTV camera.

But he was unable to state whether funding for the CCTV camera, which has come externally, would be withdrawn if the trees stayed in place.

Coun Chris Holtom said: "Perhaps there is some way of minimising the loss."

Councillors voted to defer the matter until it was established what effect keeping the wall would have on funding.