Newcastle City Council’s response to our email about tree felling at Woolsington was wholly inadequate and raised several questions about the manner in which this very serious matter has been handled. Writing to the applicant to remind them that the trees are covered by Tree Preservation Orders – a fact already well known by the applicant – is simply not good enough. We highlighted this in our email of 15th December, in which we urged the council to take appropriate enforcement action and requested clarification on who attended the site visit on 29th November. Despite our reiteration that there is a clear and present requirement to take formal enforcement action and that it is in the public interest to do so, Newcastle City Council advised it would be handling our latest correspondence as a complaint and would respond by the 12th January 2017. This untimely delay is not acceptable. Please email the assistant planning director kath.lawless@newcastle.gov.uk as soon as possible to ask the council to take appropriate action to hold the applicant to account for this unauthorised tree felling. Thank you for your ongoing support.