Huge amount of public money spent on felling of Trelawney road trees
Three lime trees on Trelawney Road in Falmouth were felled in September 2025 after campaigners and residents lost their battle
It’s likely that the amount of public money spent to cut down three healthy trees on a Cornish street – including a controversial compensation payment to a homeowner – is at least £175,000.
A battle by Falmouth residents and environmental campaigners was lost in December following a number of very public protests when Cornwall Council felled three much-loved lime trees on Trelawney Road in the town.
The proposal to chop down the trees was mired in controversy with different reasons being given for why they had to be removed.
It was eventually revealed that the council had entered into an out-of-court settlement with the owners of a neighbouring property, to the suggested tune of £107,000 – a figure which has never been denied by the council.
The cost of the final operation to fell the trees has now been revealed, but it’s far from the full amount.
According to information provided by the council’s monitoring officer, Paul Grant, to Falmouth town councillor David Saunby the December work cost Cornwall Council’s highways service £45,502.44.
This included traffic management, fencing and welfare at £5,685.10, tree removal and stump grinding at £7,790.94, site security at £24,712 and ecology costs of £7,314.40.
However, the price of the Devon and Cornwall Police presence and workers from Cormac was not included in the costings.
Cllr Saunby, who is also a Cornwall councillor, told us that the figure did not include the replanting of new trees and planting build-outs.
It doesn’t include the suggested £107,000 compensation payout to the neighbour either. Cllr Saunby believes the final council costs will be over £175,000.
“I was quite shocked at the cost of security on the final day of £24,000. After all, it is public money. Some of the personnel came from as far as Yorkshire, having spoken to some of the security on the morning of the felling,” he added.
Three previously thwarted attempts to fell the trees also cost the council £15,500.