A HOUSING developer which promised to plant eight trees as part of a new housing estate has now asked for permission not to plant five of them.

Bellway Homes, which was required to plant the new trees as part of a 23-home estate which it has now built off Newbury Street in Wantage, has now said there is now not room because it needed to install a 'land drain' to deal with all the ground water under the land.

Because it was a formal agreement, the company has had to submit a planning application to Vale of White Horse District Council asking for permission not to plant five of the trees.