Environmental campaigners have been out in force demanding better protection of the district's trees due to plans to fell a huge sycamore.

Protestors gathered at the site in Duke Street in Margate vowing to protect the tree, which is in the Old Town on land once considered as a possible site for a community garden.

The land was sold by Thanet District Council in 2017 and unpopular plans for five flats and a shop were submitted by a developer and then approved in July 2018, which critics say will mean the destruction of the tree.

The site, with planning permission, is due to go under the hammer this month with a guide price of between £280,000 and £300,000.

Spokesman for Thanet Trees Amelia Gregory says there is already dismal tree cover across Thanet of just 4%.

"Whilst the rest of the country celebrates National Tree Week, here in Thanet we are once again fighting the further felling of our precious healthy mature trees," she said.

"The largest tree in Margate Old Town, and the only one near the seafront, is due to be felled.

"The Duke Street sycamore lies on land that was previously owned by Thanet District Council, but was sold as part of their asset disposal list despite a lengthy campaign by locals to create a much needed community garden in this rare green space.

"It will be sold at auction with planning to build a large and unsightly block of flats."

Ms Gregory says it is one of the last remaining trees in Margate Old Town and resides in a conservation area.

"The planning application was passed with over 40 objections and completely inadequate consideration of this tree, it barely gets a mention, given that it has full protections with its conservation area status," she said.

"There are queries over how the consultation was conducted prior to the sale of this land, with a large amount of cash disappeared through wasted consultancy over the aborted plans to turn this area into a community garden.

"No local councillors have been willing to challenge this farcical and depressing anomaly and so the only remaining course is to promise to do all that is necessary to protect this tree, thus making it a really unattractive prospect for the next developer."

The protest, on Saturday was the second to take place that week, with campaigners gathering at Ellington Park in Ramsgate, where renovation work is currently taking place as part of a project by Thanet council and Friends of Ellington Park including a café and new terrace.

But protestors say it will mean the felling of mature trees in the park's Cherry Avenue.

Police were called to the park after members of Thanet Green Party attempted to stop the felling work.

Regarding Ellington Park, Cllr Steve Albon, cabinet member for operational services, says the council is disappointed to have seen disruption during the scheduled removal of the trees in the cherry tree avenue area.

"These trees are being removed as part of a long-established project to restore and renovate Ellington Park," he said.

"The trees have been appropriately surveyed by a specialist team and confirmed that they are at the end of their natural lifespan.

"New trees will be planted in their place and their tree trunks will also be used elsewhere in the park.

"Due to safety concerns and unauthorised people on the site, work has now been postponed.

"It was agreed that a meeting would be arranged with the group and ward councillors to share survey findings and talk about the planned removal of trees.

"No further tree work will be undertaken before the meeting."

With Duke Street, the council referenced a document in a committee report setting out its position.

"The proposal will clearly lead to the loss of this tree.

"In making a decision about whether trees should be felled local authorities are legally bound to pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of a particular conservation area.

"It is considered that the tree has some amenity value, however, it is also appreciated that within the previous consented scheme the tree would also have been lost.

"In this case, whilst it is regrettable that the tree would be lost as part of this proposal, it would be very difficult to develop the site and retain the tree.

"Given the site's prominent location within the conservation area, greater weight is placed on utilising this site in a positive manner rather than retaining the empty gap which does not enhance or preserve its special character."

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