Campaigning residents mourning the loss of a green oasis near their homes have accused Bradford Council of sending a “wrong message” out to developers wanting to chop down trees.

In 2007 people living in The Drive at Greengates were stunned when 50 trees were felled just hours before an order to save them was granted.

Neighbours of Walmer Villa, where the trees were, had been lobbying Bradford Council for a Tree Preservation Order since 2005.

Planning permission to demolish the villa and build seven new homes was later refused and has since gone to appeal.

But neighbour Eric Cannell was horrified when tracking the appeal on the Council’s website to find that an agreement had already been made with the builder that, if the appeal goes in his favour, the Council will accept £9,000 from him to plant trees elsewhere. He said: “Our beautiful trees were chopped down by the developer long before he put in a planning application. The trees were part of the reason for the refusal.

“Bradford Council shouldn’t be making any compromise now. It sends out the wrong message to developers that it’s okay to chop down trees before you put in for planning permission because you can go to appeal if it’s refused and then do a deal with the Council later to compensate and give money for other trees elsewhere.”

Bradford Council Planning Officer Richard Cryer said the appeal will be decided by an independent planning inspector.

He added: “Under planning legislation, developers are required to mitigate any loss of trees by planting replacements on site or by paying the local authority to have them planted elsewhere within the same ward. In this case Bradford Council planners and the developer have entered into such an agreement which has to be completed as part of the appeals process.”