WE are responding to the article (Oxford Mail, Friday, January 28, Councillors should be next for chop), which included: “Residents’ fury after trees cut down” as their assertions in the article are incorrect.

Certain residents said about 50 trees had been “attacked”.

In total, nine split and damaged willow trees were pollarded and five other trees coppiced in the fenland.

The parish council does take seriously its responsibilities for ensuring that both the fenland and copse are properly maintained for current and future generations to enjoy, hence the fact that it has sought advice from various ecological experts.

It would also have been helpful to your readers if the article had actually explained why the recommended maintenance work was necessary, including letting light into the newly reclaimed rare fenland and to give those pollarded trees that were split and damaged a new lease of life.

Pollarded willows look bleak at first, but by the end of the year will have grown again quite strongly.

Readers can visit our website northhinksey-pc.gov.uk and click on the link for the details and photographs of the poor state some of the trees were in.

Those complaining live near the back of the area, where the parish council has undertaken recommended specialist works to manage the copse and fenland, protect its existence and allow others to visit and enjoy the habitat.

The copse and fenland areas are lovely. Many wild flowers grow and the rare fen is a gem worth preserving for future generations to enjoy. The land was given to the parish council in 1935 on behalf of all its parishioners to enjoy.

The copse project was supported by residents and the council believes opposition comes from a small number of parishioners (the population of North Hinksey exceeds 4,500) who primarily live nearby, and who appear to have found fault with improvements that the parish council has achieved either in the copse, fenland or the playing fields.

Why did the article finish by quoting work at Osney Island in 2006 when families lost the battle to save 12 willow trees?

This was a different scenario – no trees have been removed from the Louie Memorial Fields – and it was quite demeaning of the aims and aspirations of North Hinksey Parish Council.

B NEWPORT, chairman, AJ STONE, clerk, North Hinksey Parish Council