TREE lovers look set to lose their battle to save an avenue of limes alongside the York-Scarborough railway line.

York councillors are being advised to approve a Railtrack plan to fell the trees.

The rail company says a number of the trees are in a dangerous condition and need to be cut down while other trees need to be thinned to allow space for the woodland to mature properly.

It also wants to replace existing lime trees with small-leaved species, because it says the limes drop large leaves on the line which stop the railway's automatic signalling equipment operating properly.

But local residents have bitterly opposed the scheme and say the trees, which are protected by preservation orders, are integral to the York Central Conservation area and act as a 'green lung' for the city.

The council has received twelve letters of objection to the scheme so far from residents, who are concerned this new scheme is only the latest twist on an earlier Railtrack plan to axe all the trees along Grosvenor Terrace and Bootham Terrace.

Council officers have recommended the tree management scheme should be given the go ahead by councillors at a planning sub-committee meeting next Tuesday, as part of a long-term management plan for the area.

And councillors have been told that the felling plan would only cut down a small number of trees which will leave more space for the remaining trees to develop.

Railtrack, which has just unveiled its new £1m track cleaning machine, has admitted some trees will be lost.

But it said more than 8,000 native trees, beech hedging and shrubs would be planted to replace them.

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