Osney Island residents and Oxford City Council will come face-to-face tomorrow to try to thrash out a deal to replace willow trees which were controversially felled.

Nearly three months after 11 trees in East Street were felled, because they were deemed a safety hazard, residents have complained no progress has been made in planting replacements.

A community tree planting day last month was cancelled because Osney Island Residents' Association and the council were still at loggerheads over what sort of trees should be planted.

Residents wanted mature like-for-like trees, but the council - which prefers white willows - said health and safety implications ruled that out.

All of the 300 homes on the island will be canvassed in a bid to get a consensus on what should be done.

Residents' association chairman Richard Thurston said: "It gives me no pleasure to say the city council has been pretty ropy throughout all this.

"I don't think they had considered the outcome and effect it might have on the community."

Last month, an internal inquiry into why the trees were felled revealed "serious failings" in the way the council let the public know what was being done, and why.

The willows were condemned on October 5 - three weeks before residents were informed about plans to remove them. Residents commissioned their own report, which said four of the trees were still healthy.

The dispute has been referred to the Local Government Ombudsman.

A city council spokesman said: "The residents had requested we plant a particular species of tree, but both Oxford City and Oxfordshire County Council consider they're not appropriate, due to their future health and safety implications.

"The councils respect the residents' wish to input into the replanting process. Once an agreement has been reached, the replanting will go ahead."

Mr Thurston said the association would survey householders for their views. He added: "If it's fairly conclusive, it would be difficult for them to say 'we're going to plant conifers' or something completely inappropriate."