DOZENS of trees at a sprawling golf club site in Essex will now be protected by a new Tree Preservation Order (TPO).

Councillors decided yesterday evening (Wednesday, 21 October) to agree to the imposition of the TPO at The Warren Estate in Woodham Walter.

Members of Maldon District Council's North West Area Planning Committee heard how some trees at the site of the Warren Golf Course, including Bunsay Downs and Badgers, have had "inappropriate" works carried out on them.

The matter was brought to councillors to decide after the owners of the land objected to the order, claiming it was difficult to see which trees the order applied to on plans prepared by council officers.

But council officer Matt Leigh told the meeting: "Out of all our TPOs, this is one of the most specific. We have used GPS and pinpointed the trees – this is as good as it gets."

Councillor Karl Jarvis, deciding to support the TPO, said: "I am struggling to see any argument that would convince me otherwise."

The trees include oak, beech, sycamore, eucalyptus, Lombardy poplar, holly, sweet chestnut, cedar, weeping willow, ash, elm, purple leaf plum, hornbeam, Scots pine, silver birch, lime, and Norway maple.

Separately - and not connected to the matter of the TPO - the Warren Estate hit the headlines in August this year when a planning application for a £7million holiday park development at the site was submitted to Maldon District Council.

The plans for the Warren Estate include a total of 70 new holiday lodges and a new golf academy.

MDC has yet to set a date for the application to be considered, but Woodham Walter Parish Council has objected to the plans.