Plans to protect trees on a Southampton school site have overcome objections from neighbouring residents.

The city council sought the implementation of a tree preservation order (TPO) for areas of Weston Park Primary School.

This followed the land being transferred from local authority ownership to Hamwic Education Trust, a multi-academy trust that manages several schools in the city.

Council tree officer Maria Mushens made the TPO in May, but after failing to overcome three resident objections, the proposal went before members of the planning and rights of way panel.

At the meeting on Tuesday, October 8, Ms Mushens said the tree team was undertaking a review of all the land that is being transferred into the ownership of Hamwic Education Trust.

She said: “When we look to dispose land, we will look to protect the trees into the future and that’s what we’re doing here.”

The objections, which related to specific trees that would be part of the TPO, raised concerns over them being a hazard to children and delays in obtaining permission to address any issues.

They also referenced trees blocking sunlight and casting shadows across their property and gardens.

Ms Mushens said the issues raised could occur with or without a TPO in place.

She said regulations allowed for exceptional circumstances to quickly address certain problems, such as a dead or hazardous tree.

“The school has a responsibility to have the trees surveyed,” the officer said.

“They have been doing that every two years. We have been providing that service to them.

“They don’t have to use us but they have a duty of care to maintain the trees, so I would say any issues would be picked up during the survey and then the school can make an application to deal with the issues.

“If it is an urgent issue, it can be dealt with quicker than the eight weeks through the exceptions within the regulations.”

On the issue of blocked sunlight, Ms Mushens said: “Trees will cause shade whether they have a tree preservation order on them or not.

“The council or indeed the school cannot be expected to remove every single tree that’s causing shadow onto people’s gardens because we will probably have no trees whatsoever if that were the case.”

Panel member Cllr Sue Blatchford said based on information provided by the officer and having considered the objections, she was content to confirm the TPO for the school site.

Chair Cllr Vivienne Windle said she supported the council’s policy not to remove trees unless absolutely necessary, as well as putting a TPO in place when disposing of land.

“It is a proven scientific fact, not just the visual amenity of trees, but that they do benefit our air quality, so wherever those trees are, Southampton’s air quality will be helped and I think that is why we must abide by the policy,” Cllr Windle said.

Councillors unanimously voted to confirm the TPO for Weston Park Primary School.