Members of Falmouth Town Council are furious after unprotected trees were felled today during nesting season and have called on Cornwall Council to do more to protect them.

Town councillors Debra Clegg and Zoe Young have called upon Cornwall Council to do more to protect trees and the environment after they discovered the trees were in the process of being felled in Ponsharden earlier this afternoon (Tuesday).

The councillors claim the trees are an important amenity feature and an essential wildlife corridor linking the river to the wider countryside.

On contacting Cornwall Council to object to the felling, they claim a councillor was told to fill in a form and wait eight weeks for a response.

Falmouth Packet: On contacting Cornwall Council to object to the felling, a Councillor was told to fill in a form and wait 8 weeks for a response. On contacting Cornwall Council to object to the felling, a Councillor was told to fill in a form and wait 8 weeks for a response.

The trees are a mixture of native and naturalised species including sycamore.

Cllr Debra Clegg, who said she was not speaking on behalf of the town council but as an individual, said: "This is absolutely infuriating.

"We are supposed to be acknowledging a climate emergency and yet there is no protection for the things that make the air that we breathe."

Falmouth Packet: Town Councillors Zoe Young and Debra Clegg discovered the felling was taking place. Town Councillors Zoe Young and Debra Clegg discovered the felling was taking place.

Cllr Zoe Young, who was also not speaking on behalf of the town council said: "This line of mature trees is an important wildlife corridor.

"We are in nesting season and in a spiralling climate and ecological emergency: how on earth can these trees be being legally cut down?

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"We need nature to be protected to be able to live.

"Locals will judge Cornwall Council by its actions, not its words."

According to the RSPB: Under Section One of the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981), it is an offence to intentionally damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built - which is also referred to as an 'active' nest.

Falmouth Packet: The trees are a mixture of native and naturalised species including sycamore. The trees are a mixture of native and naturalised species including sycamore.

Cornwall Councillor, Martyn Alvey, portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: "In principle, if the trees are not protected, there's not a TPO around them, there is no requirement for somebody to get permission to fell them, they can go ahead and fell the trees.

"If there's a planning application that comes in, and councillors are aware of that, they can request an emergency TPO on the unprotected trees that they are concerned about the loss of.

Falmouth Packet: TW Tree Surgeons claim they had checked the trees for nesting birds before they were felled. TW Tree Surgeons claim they had checked the trees for nesting birds before they were felled.

A spokesperson for Travis Wilton, the tree surgeons doing the work at Ponsharden, said: "We've had our climbers up and checked every single tree, we wouldn't have done it otherwise.

"We wouldn't touch a tree with a bird nest in it because we know what the consequences are.

"We've got 12 years experience, we wouldn't break the law, we're just doing our job."

Cornwall Council and Devon and Cornwall Police have been contacted for comment.