Dear All,

Well, what an amazing morning on Trelawney Road, Falmouth yesterday, 26th March 2025! A massive thank you to all the Stop the Chop campaigners who helped facilitate Cornwall County Council to postpone its plans to chop down the three healthy lime trees that have been growing there for many, many years.

The strength of people power won out with campaigners requesting that the Council show the evidence that backs up its proposals to fell these protected trees, something that CCC has refused to do in three months of asking.

Paul Powlesland, the renowned environmental barrister was with us offering knowledgeable support and ultimately making a huge contribution to the positive outcome. This is the third postponement in three months all achieved by the public voice  questioning CCC's proposals to fell. To date, no valid reasons have been provided.

Paul addressed the campaigners clearly  explaining that,  "What this whole thing comes down to is these trees are in a conservation area, which means it would be unlawful for the council to fell them unless an exception applies. The crucial thing is the council are refusing to publicly disclose what that exception is, which is extraordinarily unhelpful and actually really quite outrageous".

'Who the hell do they think they are? They serve you and they can sit there in their offices and say that an exception applies to destroy these trees, but you're the little people, they're not going to tell you what it is, but they are going to try and use police officers to arrest you and physically force you away if you don't move. I think that is outrageous and it's also unusual"

"In all cases of tree felling I've been involved in, even when there's serious anger between the two sides, the council will at least tell people what the basis is. It looks like what is being hinted at is some kind of issue around nuisance between these trees and a neighbouring house. There's whisperings about a court order, a gagging order - the police have apparently seen it, some councillors have apparently seen it - but the council are not going to show it to you."

This summaries exactly the issues that the Stop the Chop campaign has been facing with Cornwall County Council regarding the Trelawney trees. Cries of "Release the report" sounded out and a new version of the great Cornish anthem Trelawney struck up with campaigners switching in, 'And shall the lime trees live or shall the lime trees die but here's 2,000 Cornishmen who'll know the reason why!'

And we will continue to press Cornwall County Council to tell us exactly why it proposes to chop down three healthy trees living for well over sixty years as part of our community. To think that they can do this without explaining any lawful reason why is as Paul stated, "outrageous!".

The voice of the people will hold Cornwall County Council to account.

Thank you once again for all your support !