100 Ottery trees saved from the chop

Saplings will be moved to Tipton

The Environment Agency (EA) said it wasn’t happy with where scores of wipps and saplings were planted at the riverside spot in January.

A Tipton Councillor stepped in to stop 70 to 100 of the trees being axed, and is hopeful they can be transplanted to the village in October or November.

An Environment Agency spokesman said some young trees caused concern over access to the river bank for grass cutting and maintenance. He added the agency had flood defence, river bank structure and erosion worries related to the saplings.

“The bottom line is they needed to be removed,” said the spokesman. “We didn’t want to chop them down. They were planted in the wrong place. We put out an appeal in the community whether anybody could use the trees and a councillor in Tipton said yes.

“They can’t be dug up at the moment, but will be transplanted to Tipton in October.”

Tipton representative on Ottery town council John Harding told the Herald: “We are negotiating with the EA and the trees will be moved to Tipton. We haven’t got an exact planting place because we don’t have an agreement on where they can go- but they will go by the river. We were trying to put them into an area barren of trees. It will definitely benefit the village views in the long term, we’re talking in 40 to 50 years time.”

Millennium Green trustee Di Passey said trustees thought of the planting exercise in January followed a plan approved by the EA.

She said: ““I’m pleased to know they are being relocated.”