ISSUES around controversial tree works in Southampton are over, a city leader has said following renewed calls for an investigation.

Talking about plans to fell three trees at Marlhill Copse in Southampton, city council leader Christopher Hammond said “the matter is closed”.

The news comes as campaigners and opposition leaders renewed calls for an investigation into the initial decision made by planning officers at Southampton City Council.

The plans were approved by officers in May as the council said the trees were posing a health and safety risk to residents and nearby properties. But the issue was then taken to court and the plans were approved by the Planning and Rights of Way Panel at the city council last week. Following the final decision campaigners said the council should still investigate why the initial decision was not made in public.

Gareth Narbed, who has been at the forefront of the campaign, said: “Given the well-documented promises by the City Council of a meeting being held,there was no legitimate imperative for officers to have usurped the role of panel. Councillor Hammond needs to explain what went on, why and who is responsible. Someone somewhere has made very serious mistakes. We need to be able to trust our local council”

Cllr Dan Fitzhenry, opposition leader at the city council, added: “The council need to justify why they made the decision in the way they did in May, whose advice this was based on that ultimately significantly damaged the reputation of the council.”

Southampton Itchen MP Royston Smith said the issue cost the council time and money. He added: “They should look into what they have done and tell us what went wrong. It could have been avoided. They should have had the meeting in the first place. There was no question that some of these trees needed to come down and the council made a complete mess.”

But Cllr Hammond said: “These three trees were deemed by experts to pose a risk to the safety of users of the copse and the residents who are living directly under them. This decision was challenged, but upheld unanimously by Labour and Conservative Councillors who looked at this independently through the Planning and Rights of Way Panel. It’s fair to say that everyone has had their chance to make their case, people will now be kept safe and the matter is closed.”