A GROUP of residents has jointly objected to a planned tree protection order in Malvern.

The group of people, the owners and residents of Springfield Lodge, say a Lawson Cypress in the grounds of the building should not be protected as there are “numerous inaccuracies” in the council’s report calling for a TPO.

The decision on whether to impose a TPO was deferred by district councillors last month, with several issues relating to drainage and site visits being raised.

A letter sent in response to the planning application by several members of the Springfield Lodge community, says the tree “adds little value in terms of public amenity or landscape value.”

The letter goes on to address several issues raised in the application for a TPO, including its effect on the drains.

READ MORE: Prominent tree in Malvern could be cut down

One issue raised in the TPO application was that “no evidence has been supplied demonstrating that the tree is detrimentally affecting the integrity of nearby walls, surfacing, drainage systems or buildings.”

In response to this, the Springfield Lodge residents said: “Damage to the integrity of the sewer system has been confirmed by both Dyno and FirstDrains with costs of repair amounting to £4000.

“We have been informed that if nothing is done about the tree, tree roots in the sewer could recur.”

The letter goes on to say that the tree lies in a north-easterly direction, meaning if it were to fall, it could cause severe damage to the building.

The TPO application will be examined again at a meeting of Malvern Hills District Council's Southern Area Planning Committee on October 21 after they decided to defer a decision until site visits could be carried out.

READ MORE: Decision on Springfield Lodge tree deferred after drainage concerns

When the application was last discussed in September, a number of councillors raised concerns about the tree.

Cllr Andrea Morgan supported the calls for a deferment, saying: "I would be afraid to live near a tree that size."

Fellow councillor Mick Davies said the drains should be considered before any decision is made, and supported the call for site visits.

The issue of a TPO was raised after one of the owners at Springfield Lodge, Justyna Jakubowska, applied to have it removed and a provisional TPO was put in place to prevent it being cut down until planners had discussed the matter.

Six responses were sent to the council following its application for a TPO. Five of these were in objection to its creation.