A planning application to fell a row of protected trees in Biddulph Moor to create a new private access drive to a dwelling has been refused by the district council.

The plans, submitted to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council by a Mr Tony Smith from Mitras Composites Ltd, related to a row of trees off New Street, and sought permission to fell the trees to provide a dedicated driveway access to a dwelling at Park Hall Cottage.

The application asked permission for: "Removal of trees and forming new private access drive to dwelling. Closing off existing access via industrial yard on health and safety grounds."

A report by the district council's planning officers provided more detail on the proposals.

It said: "The driveway would run through a belt of protected trees and the embankment that encloses the car park to the east. The driveway would run straight along the site's southern boundary, through the car park, taking out a row of spaces and an area of stacked factory storage.

"A group of kennel buildings would be demolished and a new driveway, some 40m in length, with turning head would connect this point to the dwelling and a new area of parking in its garden to the south.

"The plans show how one protected tree and 8 from a group protection order would be removed to make way for the driveway."

The applicant's agent said in a statement: "The key reason for the proposed access is to partition the access to the dwelling off from the industrial unit. The existing situation is unusual where the house is accessed via a busy industrial plant with frequent heavy vehicles loading and unloading. It presents a danger for the residents and a health and safety hazard for MCL which is why both parties are committed to this plan.

"As described in the arboricultural report, there are a few TPO trees to be removed which are mainly poor-quality specimens. We are happy to replace with new TPO trees in an appropriate/agreed location within the site."

However, the council's planning officers concluded that removing the trees would be detrimental to the area's character and appearance, and refused the plans.

Their report said: "The development would result in the removal of numerous protected trees that make serious contribution to the character, appearance and amenity of the area. The introduction of hard surfacing on areas of grassed embankment and garden area would not preserve openness and cause countryside encroachment that would be inappropriate and harmful to the Green Belt. There would be harm to ecological habitat and contribution to the environment. The benefits of the scheme as described by the applicant would not clearly outweigh those harms."