Pensioner in trees plea

A PENSIONER who as a child helped plant an avenue of trees in a coastal town called yesterday for a halt to plans to fell the "historic" survivors.

Only seven of the trees planted by children in 1935/6 along a track off Victoria Road, Aldeburgh, are thought to have survived and they are subject of plans to fell them to protect the foundations of a nearby bungalow.

Suffolk Coastal District Council refused to allow the trees - a sycamore and six Scots pines - to be axed but the decision was overturned following an appeal to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Unless the so-far unidentified landowner comes forward before May 5 and lodges an objection the trees - subject of a formal Tree Preservation Order - can be legally felled.

However, a plea for them to be left alone was made yesterday by Kenneth Ash, 82, who remembers planting one of the avenue of trees at the age of 15 when he was at school in Aldeburgh.

"I can't say whether it was one of the surviving trees but it was definitely a Scots pine," he said.

Mr Ash, who now lives in Aldringham, said he had been one of four prefects at the former Aldeburgh School who had joined other children in carrying out the tree planting.

His three fellow prefects had all been killed in action during the Second World War.

"I would hate to see those trees cut down because they are a living memorial to a number of children who attended Aldeburgh school and also died in that war," Mr Ash said.

The decision by the Office of the Deputy prime Minister to allow the trees to be felled has been greeted with disappointment throughout the town.

Postcards for people to register their concern with the district council have been left near the site.

Felicity Bromage, Aldeburgh mayor, told the EADT at the weekend she did not believe there was sufficient evidence to link the roots of the trees with damage to the foundations of the bungalow.

She also did not believe the town council had been consulted early enough.