Our lives are being made a misery by out of control trees on our street

Frustrated neighbours have started a campaign to have trees on their street chopped down.

Residents of Hillport Avenue in Porthill, Staffordshire, say they’re fed up with having to clean their cars and drains because of the lime trees.

They also take issue with the trees blocking out the daylight, and roots are undermining their garden walls and posing a risk to their homes’ stability.

David and Christina Leese, 67 and 68, have started a petition to get their county council to do something about it.

The couple said: ‘We have lived here for 35 years and the trees have been a pain for 20 years.

‘The trees have damaged the car and the sap takes the paint off. It is costing us money all the time. We have to have the guttering cleaned three or four times a year.

‘The council is not doing anything at all. Branches have hit our motorhome and the car. I was that fed up last year I phoned Aaron Bell MP.

‘A councillor told us it would cost £2.25 million to take all the trees out. We asked an independent tree surgeon who said it would cost £1,000 a tree.

‘We have offered to pay for the tree outside our house to be cut down and the council have said you cannot do that.’We have offered to pay for the tree outside our house to be cut down and the council have said you cannot do that.

‘They do not realise how big lime trees grow. They have told us they can’t take them out. The only thing they will do is pollard them. The council will not pay loads of money to take them out.

‘We believe the tree is costing us £1,500 to £2,000 a year. It has just shot up in the last 20 years. They can grow for hundreds of years.

‘Every season has its own problems. We get insects, then flies. We know the roots are under our property. We like trees and we have offered to plant a new tree which is more appropriate.’

Martin Jones, 62, who’s lived on the street for more than 40 years, said: ‘They were really small when we moved in. They are now massively out of control.

‘We get no light. Our gutters have to be cleaned two or three times a year. The lime tree has smashed the water pipe. We are worried the roots could damage the structure of the house.

‘They are the wrong tree for this road. They chose the wrong species of tree. We had to have the wall rebuilt last year.’

Sue Jones, 70, added: ‘The pavement is dangerous. Last year we had to pay for the gutters to be cleaned three times. The trees are too big. It is nice to have an avenue of trees.

‘But they have not been pruned for years. They need to do the job properly. The lack of light in the house caused by the tree is a nightmare.’

Councillor David Williams said: ‘All highways reports are investigated by an inspector and any work or action is scheduled as appropriate.

‘We will of course consider the petition and the points raised within it when we receive it.’

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