WORKERS cutting back trees in Oxford agreed to down tools yesterday as a city councillor pledged to join a campaign to save branches from the chop.

The Green party’s Sushilla Dhall backed Mike Hamblett, who protested for a second day, in a bid to protect remaining trees on woodland at Cripley Meadow Allotments, near Port Meadow.

The allotment association had called in the city council to pollard the riverside willows before a community orchard is planted on the land.

Most of the 20 or so trees had been cut back on Tuesday, but a truce was called yesterday with a few specimens still untouched.

Mr Hamblett, 57, from Harpes Road, North Oxford, said: “While I applaud the allotment-holders’ aim to create something nice at this site, men with machinery often tend to take matters a little further than anticipated.

“These are young trees which they’ve emasculated into stunted lollipops. And instead of leaving the offcuts for wildlife, it is chewed into a million pieces or carted away.

“This conflict over tree management keeps happening in Oxford. We need a serious debate on whether we tidy and control for people, or leave things for ever-more-threatened wildlife.”

Miss Dhall said: “I asked the officers if they would consider calling it off while we have a chat with the allotment holders and discuss this.”

Earlier this week the allotment association said the work was essential maintenance which would help preserve the river banks and create an even richer wildlife haven in the future.

But Miss Dhall said it had gone too far. She said: “They have cut them right down to the roots, which is not going to be good for birds that like to nest high up.”

The councillor, who sits on the city’s central south and west area committee, and is also a county councillor for central Oxford, added: “I’m annoyed it took a man in a tree to inform me of what was going on at a site within the area committee I sit on, and the area I represent in the county.

“I thought we would have been told about this by officers.

“When something blows up like this, it’s very costly to everybody concerned and it makes it look as though all the council does is cut down trees.”

A city council spokesman said: “We have withdrawn from the site and we will continue with the work as soon as possible.

“The willows need to be pollarded regularly to ensure they carry out their job properly. If they are not pollarded regularly they can collapse and block the river.

“By carrying out this work, the allotment association will ensure that the area becomes well-loved and used as a community orchard by its members, local schools and the community centre.”

The allotment association did not want to comment.

tairs@oxfordmail.co.uk