PARKS bosses in Burnley were inundated with objections to plans to axe mature trees in Windermere Avenue.

But pleas to "spare those trees' failed to change the minds of council chiefs as 16 horse-chestnuts and poplars bit the dust this week.

And 32 more will go over the next two years as town hall contractors carry through the scheme, triggered, they say by complaints from residents.

But today parks manager, Vincent Gradwell stepped into the row to dispel the view that the project will bring an end to the attractive avenue of trees which adorn the area.

"There are a total of 140 trees on the avenue and by far and away most of them will remain.

"In addition, we will be replanting more suitable trees, which means there will be more trees on the avenue than there are now." Complaints over youngsters damaging property and causing traffic problems by throwing stones and sticks into the trees to bring down conkers, sparked the move.

Residents had also complained about exclusion of light from their homes and there were unproved claims of root damage to property, said Mr Gradwell.

"We have had lots of protest calls, but apart from one, they came from people who did not live in the avenue and were not directly affected."

Protesters have accused the council - voted the greenest in the country in a national competition - of civic vandalism. and hypocrisy.

"They boast about wanting to create a forest of Burnley and plant a million extra trees in the borough, yet destroy these beautiful specimens," said one.

Mr Gradwell says he has also received many other calls - from people in other areas of town demanding the trees outside their homes should also be removed!

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