THE felling of nearly 200 trees with preservation orders went ahead without proper consultation, an internal investigation at Fareham council has revealed.

Contractors chopped down the trees in Down Kiln Copse, Sarisbury Green, after the landowner successfully applied to The Forestry Commission for a felling licence.

The Commission consulted the council about the licence in March. However, council officers failed to pass on the terms of the licence to councillors so they could object.

In an admission the council was wrong, Jeff Williams, director of planning and transportation, concluded: "Given the nature of the clearance proposed and the likely concerns that would be forthcoming from the residents nearby, it was inappropriate for the arborist to respond to the consultation without reference to his manager and appropriate members of the council."

Now he is proposing that in future similar applications be referred to the development control committee for consideration.

If there is not enough time, council officers will consult just the planning chairman and ward councillors. However, Mr Williams pointed out that as the area of woodland bordering Sarisbury Court, off Holly Hill Lane, had been neglected for many years any objections would probably have been rejected by the Secretary of State.

Fareham council executive leader Councillor Sean Woodward said he was glad lessons had been learned.

"I am pleased that council procedures are going to be changed after this very unfortunate incident which left people living nearby utterly shocked. There is a considerable lot more tree-felling to be done.

"We have assurances that there will be new planting bordering the road and the contractors' rubble left on the ground will be removed."

The Forestry Commission's woodland officer Hugh Milner visited the site and concluded that none of the sycamore and sweet chestnut trees had been illegally chopped down.

The felling licence permits the thinning of woodland by removing non-native species.