A NEW pre-school building proposed for a Worcester-shire village is likely to be turned down for the second time because it could harm an established lime tree.

An application to extend Welland village hall to create the pre-school, together with improved parking, was turned down by Malvern Hills District Council last month because it would involve the loss of a lime tree and a horse chestnut.

The lime tree is the subject of a tree preservation order and an appeal against the decision was subsequently dismissed by the planning inspector.

The pre-school, which currently uses classrooms at Welland Primary School, has now submitted an amended plan, reducing the extent of the car parking and proposing measures to reduce the harmful impact on the lime tree.

A report by planning officer Paul Roberts to the district council southern area development control committee, which meets tonight says the trees make a significant contribution to the appearance of the "attractive village".

Under current regulations, the area within a 5.7 metre radius of the protected lime tree should not be disturbed, but the tree is 3.2 metres from the northwest corner of the proposed pre-school building.

To compensate, the hard standing would be removed from around the trees and replaced with a cell-web tree root protection system which allows water and gases to permeate the surface. Chairwoman of the Welland Pre-School Comm-ittee Sarah Husband said: "We have tried to comply with what the landscape officer has recommended. We have compromised as much as we can."

But Mr Roberts is recommending refusal saying: "Despite the mitigating measures proposed, the potential harm the development would have on the lime tree would outweigh the community benefit."