RESIDENTS of Canford Cliffs held a protest against the felling of pine trees yesterday.

The group of Monterey pines at 1 Beaumont Road, some of which are protected, sit along the property's border with Bodley Road and a track path to the cliffs.

Yesterday morning tree surgeons used a crane to remove branches from one of the 70 foot trees prior to felling, and some 25 residents turned out with banners to protest.

Alex Roden, who organised the gathering and has collected 500 signatures on a petition opposing the felling, said: "These are protected Monterey pines planted in Victorian and Edwardian times to give this district its character, modelled on the French Riviera. They are beautiful trees."

Developer Pure Town Planning has won approval for plans to demolish the existing six-bedroom house at the site and construct three detached homes.

The firm was initially refused permission by Borough of Poole councillors in June last year, but the decision was overturned on appeal to the planning inspector.

Mrs Roden is pursuing a judicial review of the overturned decision in the High Court.

"An application to fell the trees in 2011 by the landowner was refused by the planning inspector," she said.

"These trees are now subject to a judicial review order, we are just awaiting the judge's decision. They had the right to appeal, how can they not allow me the right to appeal with a judicial review?"

Several of the trees were ring barked - which results in the death of the tree - on Easter Monday.

In refusing planning permission the council claimed the proposed layout would lead to "increased pressure to prune" protected trees due to overshadowing.

However the firm, which stated in its arboricultural impact assessment that only five of the 'lowest quality' trees would be felled in order to break up the 'monoculture' of Monterey pines, successfully challenged this decision.

The Echo contacted Pure Town Planning for comment but received no response.