AN investigation has been launched after a number of trees were cut down in St John's, Worcester.

Local resident Gavin Gardiner captured several men uprooting the trees, with a digger, from the green space off Bromyard Terrace, behind the retail units.

The landowner has said the work was necessary to access the site, but Worcester City Council is now investigating if the trees were protected.

Mr Gardiner said: “They have destroyed a natural habitat by ripping up the trees, and then just left it all there when they left.

“They have destroyed a natural habitat by ripping up the trees, and then just left it all there when they left," he said. "It’s a conservation area so they should not be doing this.

“This is absolutely ridiculous what they’re doing. I think they did it to pre-empt the outcome of an environmental survey, as the site has been ear-marked to have units built on it in the South Worcestershire Development Plan.

“It used to be a wonderful place and now it’s ruined.”

But Andrew Boughton, of BB Architecture and Planning ltd, defended the work, saying it was necessary in order to gain access to the site.

He said the landowner had told the city council that the land had been dumped with rubble and rotten felled trees,  and was covered in brambles, making access and therefore any survey work impossible.

"The site seems to have had a lot of self-set ‘brash’ that made no positive contribution whatsoever to the Conservation Area almost all of which could not be defined as  ‘tree’ or was concealed by ivy and bramble such that  they could not be discerned; a situation which defeats the primary purpose of the relevant regulations," he said.

"Any proposals for development of the site will be respectful of the heritage context and will  make a positive contribution to the social and environmental amenity of the city."

Worcester City Council has launched an inquiry after claims that the trees were protected by a preservation order.

If true, the landowner should have sought permission before cutting them down. Something the council has confirmed did not happen.

A spokesman for the city council said: “I can confirm that the city council is investigating these allegations.”

St John’s county councillor Richard Udall has also been made aware of the incident.

Cllr Udall said: “I have informed the planning enforcer, as the issue is the trees on that site cannot be removed without permission, but they may have done that.

“Planning application for buildings on that site has not yet been submitted, but it is expected it won’t be long before one is as the area is included in the housing blueprint.”