Tree felling called off as protesters set up camp

The planned felling of an oak tree in a West Yorkshire town has been called off.

The tree stands close to Otley Bridge - a vital pedestrian and traffic crossing in the heart of the town - which is due to be repaired.

Leeds City Council had planned to cut down the tree on Friday morning, with contractors arriving on the scene shortly after dawn.

However, a group of protesters was found camping at the site, while others had climbed into the tree, preventing the council from taking any action.

A council spokesperson told the BBC that it was still its "intention" to cut down the tree.

The authority has said that the felling of the tree, and a neighbouring tulip tree, was required to make space for the repairs - which include establishing a temporary footbridge.

The authority said the alternative would be to limit traffic to a single lane on the bridge and set up three-way traffic lights for several months, causing huge delays to drivers.

The decision to fell the trees has divided opinion in the town.

One protester, Alex Eve, told BBC Look North: "In this day and age, nature matters more.

"Biodiversity is important. This oak tree has been here for100 years, it should be allowed to stay for another 200.

"People in Otley have scattered the ashes of their loved ones underneath it.

"I don't think it should be destroyed unless it's absolutely necessary - and I don't think they [the council] have made that case."

Some residents have backed the council proposal - out of concern for the impact on local journeys, but others, including the climate action charity Otley 2030, had been critical of the move.

The charity asked the BBC to point out they have not been involved in the protests.

A spokesperson said: "We're now at the point where it's the people protecting the tree versus Leeds City Council.

"And whether it is felled or not, the town loses out - we'll have traffic disruption for months."

Both trees were initially intended to be felled in December, but the council postponed its plans following the local backlash, saying it would take more time to consider the options.

However, on Tuesday, it announced the felling would go ahead, saying action needed to be taken before the bird-nesting season began at the end of February.

Otley Liberal Democrat councillor Ryk Downes said he had pushed for the council to build a second footbridge, but that this option had not been explored.

Speaking to the BBC, he said, under the circumstances, felling the tree was the "least bad" of the alternatives available.

The state of the bridge is such that the council believes the repairs must take place before the arrival of another winter.

"Nobody wants to remove a tree," Downes said. "But the environmental impact of traffic lights on the bridge would be huge.

"Both options are unacceptable, but this, I'm afraid, is the least unacceptable of the two.

"All I can say is the majority correspondence I've received from local people is against the traffic lights option."

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