Residents living on land where trees were incorrectly felled have said they are ‘deeply disappointed’ by the responsible developer’s apology.
Significant tree felling was done by The Hill Group for the Beaufort Park development in Crowthorne, Bracknell Forest.
The development will see 226 homes built on woodland, 50 per cent of which will be affordable.
But a ‘limited number’ of trees were felled on the next-door land, owned by Taylor Wimpey, who said they had been cut without their ‘knowledge, approval or consent’.
The Hill Group has admitted to the mistake after being in talks with Taylor Wimpey and Bracknell Forest Council, blaming its ‘specialist subcontractor’.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to an anonymous group of residents at the Evergreens after they shared their letter of apology from The Hill Group.
It read: “On this occasion, a serious mistake was made that falls short of the standards we expect of ourselves.
“We understand how important this green space is to local residents and are truly sorry for the upset and damage caused.”
Both developers have agreed plans to replant the nine incorrectly felled trees.
But residents have expressed their disappointment at the letter, arguing it ‘failed to address the lack of safety precautions’.
One said ‘there was nothing stopping people from wandering in from this side while they were chopping the trees down’.
Another neighbour said there is a ‘lack of trust that they will not do something similar’ at the next stage of development.
Another resident said: “I find it deeply disappointing how dismissive their letter was. After putting us through considerable stress, their response consisted of a brief apology and vague reassurances, offering little confidence that such an incident won’t happen again.
“In fact, it feels as though if this were to happen again, we’d simply receive another half-hearted letter.”
MP for Bracknell Peter Swallow asked for an urgent review into the mistake and has said he is pleased residents have been issued an apology.
The Hill Group has also confirmed that no wildlife nestings were harmed in the felling process.
Trees cut down for the Beaufort Park are within approved planning permission, which The Hill Group said has been ‘carefully managed throughout’.
The Hill Group said in a statement last month: “We are extremely disappointed that our appointed specialist subcontractor incorrectly felled a limited number of trees (nine in total) outside of our ownership at Beaufort Park, despite the boundary and trees in question being clearly demarcated.”
“We take full responsibility for this mistake and are committed to replacing these trees so there will be no lasting impact.”
