‘Let’s do this for Wellingborough’ say Save the Trees campaigners preparing for High Court hearing

Campaigners who have fought a 14-month battle to save an historic avenue of trees in Wellingborough will finally have their day in the High Court in London at the end of the month.

Wellingborough Walks Action Group Ltd (WWAG) was formed by residents who protected 45 trees lime trees from the chop despite contractors, on behalf of Stanton Cross, felling 16 of the 61.

WWAG has since raised £70,000 for legal costs to take on North Northants Council (NNC) in a judicial review that will go before a senior judge at a two-day hearing from April 30.

Marion Turner-Hawes, a WWAG director, said: “The goal is that the people of Wellingborough get heard. We are doing this for our community. These trees should be given monument status. This avenue of trees has seen soldiers from the Boer War, the First and Second World Wars marching past to the station. These trees are our history, the history of the Embankment.”

In February 2023, residents came out to protect the trees – the first weeks saw several arrests and days of disruption – ending with a truce that paused work on the new link road to Stanton Cross.

WWAG galvanised the town with fundraising events that has allowed them to fund their legal action producing bundles of papers now lodged at the High Court.

The trees stand in the path of the London Road roundabout expansion that would see a spur road pass the Embankment – known as Route 2 – to provide the eastern bypass route to connect the Stanton Cross estate to the A45 junction at Turnell’s Mill Lane. The floodplains next to the River Nene are to provide space for the four-lane road.

Evidence has been sent to the court with outlining arguments put by barristers for WWAG and NNC, and the ‘interested party’ Stanton Cross Developments.

Final papers are being submitted and shared, and WWAG directors will meet with their legal team next week to prepare for court.

With the High Court’s dismissal of another controversial environmental cause célèbre – the cutting down of more than 100 trees in central Plymouth – WWAG directors, Marion Turner-Hawes and Lucy Hennessy admit it ‘knocked’ them, but see it as an ‘eye-opener’ into the judicial process. They have been going over all of their legal arguments in the hope of victory.

Marion said: “It’s like being a non-league football team getting to Wembley for a cup final. We need to leave nothing in the dressing room. We want to do ourselves proud and our town proud.

"We had to raise £70,000 given to us by the community – which is a massive responsibility – and we take that responsibility seriously. We wanted our chance to be heard."

Lucy said: “Everybody has worked so hard to make this possible. The committee would like to say a massive thank you to the whole community for the amazing support and contributions we have received to help us save the trees which is such an important part of the town’s heritage, as well as being a vital natural resource for our community.”

The group is just £700 short of their overall £30,000 target for the court case and hold another fundraising quiz on Friday, April 26 starting at 7pm at St Andrews Church Hall in Berrymoor Road.

Members of the public and supporters have been invited to gather at the Embankment car park for one final event under the trees on Sunday, April 28, at 3pm, for an update about the case and to ‘reconnect’ with the trees before the court hearing.

People are also being invited to meet in London the day of the hearing at the Royals Courts of Justice at 9.15am on April 30, but the judicial review court ruling may take up to two months to be published.

Marion and Lucy added: “The committee have been so overwhelmed and delighted with the response from our community, and people, businesses, local organisations, clubs and groups have all contributed to help save the trees on The Walks.

"We want to thank our wonderful legal team who are skillfully guiding us in this process, and of course, all the committee members who, in many ways, have put their lives on hold to stand up for our community and save the trees.

“It has been an amazing community effort and really shows what can be achieved when we, the people of Wellingborough, put our hearts and minds together to safeguard what is important to us.

"People from our town and beyond have been absolutely amazing, so kind and so generous, and we are grateful beyond words. Let’s do this for Wellingborough.”

For more information go to www.saveourtrees.co.uk.