A SCHEME to cut down trees and restore the Heath to heathland has been backed by Petersfield Town Council.

Town contracts manager Mike Lee has been working on a tree survey which includes proposals for work on land at the Heath.

A total of £6,000 was earmarked in the budget for the townÕs tree survey but Mr Lee has spent only £2,500.

He asked at a meeting of councilÕs grounds committee if the remaining funds could be used to begin work on the project.

The survey includes plans to remove a number of trees from the Heath, such as Scots pines.

John Crowhurst took the opportunity at the meeting to make a stand on the cutting down of trees at the Heath. He said any trees that were cut down should be replaced.

He said: ÒI am very keen to see our heritage restored at the Heath and I believe part of it is the Scots pines that were planted in the mid 1800s.Ó

Mr Lee confirmed there are plans to remove Scots pines and told councillors that permission to replace the trees would not be granted.

He said the reason for removing them was that the trees could do great damage to the land if they fell down.

Chris Jenner backed the plans laid out in the tree survey and said Mr Lee was right to propose that the trees should not be replanted.

He said: ÒTrees on the Heath and restoration of the site do not go hand-in-hand.Ó

Town mayor Kenneth Hick added: ÒI can remember when the Heath was a heath. That was our heritage. The land was used for grazing.

ÒWe should seek to reduce the number of trees on the land. After all, itÕs not called the Wood, itÕs called the Heath.Ó

Mr Hick said the Heath had been neglected in the past few years and trees had been left to grow.

Dr Brian Keefe said: ÒThis council had a long discussion about this four or five years ago. We decided on a policy not to replace trees on the Heath and I think that policy should remain.

ÒI am all for the replacement of trees but in this case I think it would be foolish to depart from the policy we adopted.Ó

Councillors agreed to support Mr LeeÕs survey and agreed that the remaining money in the survey fund should be used to carry out the proposed work.