Newly planted trees will be moved from Cricklade Field because they are too close to a gas main.

Central Swindon North Parish Council held a meeting for residents in Pinehurst last Sunday after 1000 saplings were planted by Hreod Burna Urban Forest in December, before the charity had obtained the necessary permission.

Residents met to air their views on the future of the trees with chairman of the leisure and amenities committee Mick Lucas and parish clerk Andy Reeves.

So far 10 trees have been marked for relocation for being within six to ten metres of the gas main.

“It’s non-negotiable,” said Andy. “It’s one of the highest pressured gas mains in the country so that has to be protected.”

HBUF founding trustee Josie Lewis had called for all the trees to be pulled up saying legally the land should remain as public open space.

She said: “We who oppose the trees were labelled as tree haters and climate change deniers. We were nothing of the sort. It was the fact that the process hadn’t been followed and Steve Thompson hadn’t waited to get the right permissions before planting the trees. The legal and democratic process needs to be followed.”

HBUF chairman Steve Thompson said: “When you get community involvement in things like this you often get things in wrong place.

“If the council felt they had to give something to the objectors, it was something we’d planned for.”

The future of the remaining trees will be decided at the next Leisure and Amenities committee meeting on February 5 at 7.00pm.