OPINION has divided neighbours on a street in Ipswich after a row of trees were torn down behind their homes.An alarmed resident of Riverside Road, Ipswich contacted the Evening Star protesting the demolition of foliage behind her house to make way for the new Bramford Gardens housing development.

OPINION has divided neighbours on a street in Ipswich after a row of trees were torn down behind their homes.

An alarmed resident of Riverside Road, Ipswich contacted the Evening Star protesting the demolition of foliage behind her house to make way for the new Bramford Gardens housing development.

Elaine Davies wants something done about the flattening of scenery overlooking her back garden before more of the conifers are chopped down in their prime.

Mrs Davies said: “The trees are being chopped down with no care for nesting birds so a six foot fence can be erected. This was not part of the plans and I believe this is a sinister attempt to use Riverside Road and the service road for moving heavy plant, which was also not part of the plans.

The trees formed a beautiful living screen but the fence will quickly become a broken uncared for wreck”

All that currently remains of nearly 20 trees is a row of sad looking stumps but some people living in Riverside Road, far from opposing the hatchet job, are all for it.

Peter Pearce, 74, is pleased to see the oppressing sight disappear from his back window.

He said: “I'm glad they're cutting them down because those trees are too big and have become an eyesore. One of them fell down recently and hit someone's car. They were planted a couple of years ago and have just grown out of control.”

Terry King, 30, has recently moved in to his Riverside Road house but isn't too concerned about the disappearance of the trees.

He said: “It's not ideal and I'm sure people who have lived down here for donkey's years who wouldn't want to see the trees go but it doesn't really bother me.

My only worry is that if we any thinner windows we would be woken up every morning by the noise.

It's a shame when anything has to make way for development and I don't agree with lopping down trees but I'm certainly not going to stand in their way.

A spokesperson for Redrow Homes said: “The ongoing remedial and construction work at Bramford Gardens is being carried out in accordance with the planning approval guidelines and restrictions, implemented by Ipswich Borough Council.

“The removal of unkempt conifers along the eastern boundary of the site and the erection of a new boundary fence is also in accordance with planning approval. Disruption to local wildlife has been kept to a minimum and trees that carry a preservation order have all been maintained.”