Officers at a district council have admitted they did not carry out adequate consultation before removing shrubs from a street in west Suffolk, which left it looking like a “war zone” according to residents.

People living in Kingsbury Walk, Great Cornard, claim they were shocked to discover that Babergh contractors had cut down the shrubs, which provided a break between properties and were home to various wildlife.

One of the residents, Justin Green, who wrote to the council to complain, said: “They were perennial shrubs which provided an area for local children to play in and we had also noticed hedgehogs in the area too.

“Last year, Babergh cut the hedge down drastically to about a foot so it looked really bare and we complained then that the stumps and branches were potentially dangerous.

“By autumn it had grown back to about two foot high with fresh greenery and growth and we were told the council would let us know if they intended to do anything else there.

“So you can imagine how surprised we were when they came back and chopped the lot down without even telling anyone. It looks like a war zone.”

A Babergh spokeswoman said the council had been considering different options for the way that it manages a number of shrub beds across the district. This has involved the removal of shrubs, such as Pyracantha, that were becoming “difficult and costly to maintain to a high standard”.

She added: “However, we regret that on this occasion we didn’t carry out adequate consultation with local residents to explore how the area could be better maintained and we didn’t keep local residents updated on what work we were intending to carry out.

“New plans for this area are now being drawn up and Babergh will ensure all local residents are invited to become involved in deciding how this space can best be managed.”