THOUSANDS of pounds have been wiped from the value of homes in Woodford Green after Redbridge Council officers chopped down a row of trees without warning.

The 36 trees sat in council land atop an embankment between Rose Avenue and the junction of the A406 and M11, providing a barrier against noise and pollution.

But when a dead branch fell into a back garden in August last year the council's arboricultural officer was informed and an inspection in October found most of the trees to be in a poor state.

At first it was decided they should removed by April this year but after a storm in November blew a tree onto a parked van, it was decided that the trees should go as soon as possible and they were chopped down in December.

Angry residents at a meeting of the council's area two committee heard officers say that the trees they intended to plant would take ten to 15 years to grow and would be planted at the base rather than the top of the bank.

Cllr Ian Bond said: "This was a catastrophic change and the council has a strange idea of an emergency because the decision was taken to do this in November and there was at least three weeks when residents and councillors could have been told about it."

Claire Bugden of Rose Avenue said: "I'm surrounded by the North circular on three sides. The noise in my flat is horrendous and it's knocked about £15,000 off the value of my flat. Why are more trees not being planted along the bank and why can't they be taller because the road is directly on eye level to my property?"

The replacement trees will also be deciduous rather than evergreen as before, leaving residents with less of a barrier even when they do reach their full height.

Cllr Linda Huggett supported the officers' actions, pointing out that there might have been a danger to children in an adjacent play area and Cllr Morris Hickey said: "What won't happen through this is that nobody has been bashed over the head by a falling tree and that, in my opinion, is the most important aspect."