A Morris dancer who plays the traditional Green Man role was upset when a hedge he planted to commemorate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee was cut down just before HRH's Platinum celebrations.

And he fears that even more precious wildlife-rich hedges and woods around Eynsham will soon be chopped back as the area undergoes major development.

Former cub scout leader Derek Malin said 75 to 80 yards of hedgerow on Cuckoo Lane has been cut down with chainsaws to clear the way for the Eynsham park and ride.

He planted the hedge with the cubs to celebrate the jubilee of 1977.

He said: “It was a mixed hedge of raised briars, dog roses, field roses and blackthorn with three or four cherry trees in front of it and in the gaps. There are still two cherry trees which they did leave beside the gate but now there’s only about 20 yards of hedge.

“Me and the cubs planted it on my late father’s smallholding to replace the elm trees which all had Dutch Elm disease in the 70s.”

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He said he was dismayed when he came across the workers carrying out the clearance.

“It was literally just eight days before the Jubilee bank holiday weekend. As I turned up at the farm the chainsaw was just bringing down the last one.”

Mr Malin said he rang the land agent "and she did not know anything about it".

On the advice of a friend, he tried the council planning department and left a message as no one was available.

He then spoke to someone in Enviroment and Planning.

“They said they did not know anything about it and they would get back to me. They said they were disgusted they had not been told. But they rang back later and said the council had permission and there was no risk to nesting birds and wildlife and there had been someone on site to stop it if necessary.”

Mr Malin, who has lived in Eynsham since 1960, said he regarded the land as “part of my growing up”.

“It was upsetting as my late father farmed the land which he rented from the council. My mother used to make jams and things from the hedgerows and my daughter lives in the farmhouse and she's disgusted as we weren't told and it's changed their view.”

The 850-space park and ride, on the A40 eastbound, will be served by bus services to and from Eynsham, Witney and Carterton as well as high frequency services to destinations in and around Oxford. 

But Mr Malin said he fears this as well as the construction of the 2,200 home Salt Cross Garden Village north of the A40 near Eynsham will lead to yet more destruction of nature.

He said: “This sort of thing is going to get worse. It’s going to be terrible that these things are being destroyed for this so-called garden village.

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"The Eynsham Millennium Wood, which was planted to mark the millennium, they have taken some trees out of there.

"It's distressing. Some people have loved ones’ ashes scattered there.”

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: “One of the planning conditions for the approved park and ride scheme was the requirement for archaeological investigation work, which included digging trial trenches.

"This work, unfortunately, required removal of some vegetation.

“Removal of vegetation is only undertaken where absolutely necessary and we are very sorry that this has caused distress on this occasion.

“The new park and ride will include significant tree planting throughout the site. The scheme will provide an overall 5 per cent biodiversity net gain, meaning any loss of biodiversity as a result of this project will ultimately be replaced and supplemented.”