FURIOUS residents will join together in a defiant protest against the loss of 62 trees as part of plans for 72 new homes in Shoebury.

Protestors will form a picket line in Campfield Road, Shoebury, as they protest against plans to cut down trees on the former Cantel Medical site. 

Developer Taylor Wimpey is behind plans to clear the site and build the new homes, but residents have repeatedly called for the trees to be safeguarded as a “valuable and essential habitat for birds, insects and wildlife”. 

Plans include 41 protected mature hawthorn and maple trees on top of an embankment at the outskirts of the site which is set to be levelled.

Protestors question the longevity of proposed replacement trees and their quality and have called the development “unwanted and greedy.”

Southend resident and protest organiser, Tim Fransen, said: “Personally, this is about raising awareness about Taylor Wimpey’s unwanted environmental vandalism, our protest will last from 11am to 1pm.

“They think it is acceptable for every mature tree to be replaced with two saplings and there is not monitoring development data from other locations, the longevity of the trees is completely unknown and the claim of replacing the canopy is unknown.

"If a tree did survive it would take 30 years to even get close, three generations will suffer the consequences of their scheme.

“Tree relocation has been done before, all things are possible, the 40 hawthorn and maple trees are all in good shape, with bats and insects living there and the trees making Campfield Road look beautiful.

"When you look the other way, there are factories, they are destroying a hill with beautiful trees, it is a local recreation site being flattened.

“What we are planning is a peaceful protest, it is essential to the democratic process, and we want people to come along, protests can intimidate people, but they are friendly, welcoming places to discuss ideas."

The protest is set for Saturday January 6, between 11am and 1pm. 

A Taylor Wimpey spokesman said: “Preserving and enhancing biodiversity is a key consideration when we plan and build new developments and we have sought to protect and retain the highest quality trees on-site.

“Following an assessment by an independent arboriculturist, our proposals include the planting of 112 new trees and 540 hedges to replace the 62 low quality or dying trees that will be removed in line with our planning permission.

“All but one of the mature trees, which is suffering from Ash Dieback, within the development boundary will be retained.”