To have spent most of the day in tears over trees

And the songbirds whose eggs and chicks are regularly killed by grey squirrels? Do you care about those to?

To aswer your question 'Who honestly cares about a squirrel?'

Me, I do.

You didn’t really elaborate though. You said you already hated living there and it had ruined your life moving there but from the pictures it actually looks like quite a nice rural spot.

I’m so sorry, that’s just horrific.

I remember a neighbor cutting down a large old tree in her garden that was home to a family of raccoons. I’d watch them going to and and fro living their little lives and then boom, down it came. I called the police - needless to say they were uninterested, despite the trees being explicitly stated as must remain on this new build estate.

Some people just don’t care.

It isn't clear from your posts why you hate living there so much. How long have you been there? It looks as if the planning didn't get rejected as such just that the water part of the application needed changing before permission could be granted so it seems you and any other potential buyer would have reasonably expected this to go ahead. The live planning application likely affected the price of your property so you probably got a fairly good deal on your house? And once the development is done your house will presumably go up in value? As others have said the trees are not the best and can easily be replaced by you. It is completely understandable to feel devastated right now but if you can bring yourself to think of the next few years as an investment in your future then you can make a go of this and likely make some money too. The developer's blurb talks about it being a desirable village. Try to focus on the medium term and the positives and you will get through this.

My mother considered elders to be weeds. I don't like the smell of the blossom personally.
What about a rowan? A small plum or apple tree? I have a beautiful olive tree in my garden that grew very quickly from a tiny sapling.
Go and spend some time at your local garden centre and talk to the staff. There is bound to be someone who can give you ideas.
DS bought a house that basically had a rubbish dump full of rubble for a garden. Over 2 years he transformed it. He planted a row of tall trees at the end of the garden and a hedgerow and smaller trees and shrubs further up and round the sides. The hedge is full of birds. Planning is key. Make sure you do your homework on soil type, drainage, what the trees will look like in 2, 5, 10 years. How much maintenance needed etc. Check where your drains run and whether you will need to protect them. (Neighbour's tree roots broke the underground pipes causing flooding and subsidence. Unsuitable tree in ridiculous place - totally avoidable). Gardening is therapeutic, you can create something lovely.

It doesn't matter what loss the trees have for you, and I agree it's sad, they were not your trees.

Use your own garden to plant trees that provide privacy and block the house you didn't know was there. Conifers grow quickly so you will replace them soon enough. There is no reason why you can't do that your garden looks long enough.

They deforested a beautiful area near me this week where my dogs ashes are. It oooked like a war zone. I cried like a baby. X

Yeah it makes your heart hurt doesn't it 😢

the cunt over the back of me had his trees 'sorted/trimmed (butchered) in the nesting season, because the fucking cowboys do it cheaper then.

council were useless.

the 'homeless' birds & dead chicks broke my heart 💔

I wonder if you live in my village? (Or more likely the miserable truth is that it's happening everywhere).

They're building another new estate which will be on the green belt and make two villages into one with no additional infrastructure or services. And we are already massively over subscribed at the schools/Gp's etc and the roads are jam packed.

the wildlife, of course, has been severely affected already & this new Estate... 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️
the developers have somehow got the council to turn a blind eye to all of this 🤬🤬🤬

@NoMoreTrees it is devastating ! I'd have cried too ((big hugs)) but please try to help your MH by focusing on your kids. People you love & who love you and if you are all in good health, that too. You have a garden, plant what you can. & make the inside of your house & garden your sanctuary. I don't want to make this post any longer, but I lost my health & consequently a lot of other things literally over night. I wish I hadn't taken so much for granted & enjoyed it/made the most of it before. Xx

Start learning! Ask the garden centre,join FB gardening groups for advice and start planning your own garden. You can easily plant at the end of yours,you have a huge space. Not sure this is the time to plant but go and seek advice from those who know.

I get it,I've cried over a hedge being cut down.

Sorry as per I am late to the thread.

I'd be absolutely fucking fuming and in tears also. I get very stressed seeing trees getting chainsawed down, because (and I'm going to sound nuts) but I believe they feel. There will also be all the wild life that lived in them stressed and terrified! It's winter and they have taken their homes! FFS why can't humans just stop!

Trees take years to grow! This happened to me in October, so it really IS a subject close to my heart. I had a 30 year old ever green conifer in my front garden and it was amazing, asked the housing to give it a small trim like they did last year and they sent out 2 neanderthalic creatures who were in the building trade (not the same tree surgeons who took care and respect for the tree) and these fuckers tore it to absolute shreds and I went MENTAL!

I don't think you are being unreasonable at all, the plusses that were keeping you there have been shat on and I'd not want to live next to a building site! Which is ashame because it actually looked quite lovely!

Hugs to you.

@Uhghg yes, they grow really well! They need water in summer, because they don’t like heat. But all of mine have needed to be trimmed to stop them getting huge! I plant them as soon as I can after Christmas (delayed this year as the ground is too hard to dig at the moment).

Grey squirrels are unbelievably common! Red ones are not. Who honestly cares about a squirrel? As for trees, considers are far less productive for wildlife. Birds don’t nest in them and they are green high hedges that dry everything out under them. Far better to have native deciduous trees suitable for gardens. Don’t plant huge field trees.

Oh no. Poor thing.

I really got a chill when I heard Rachel Reeves mocking environmentalists for trying to 'protect bats and newts' and talking about overriding objections so the govt can build thousands of homes. I know in the grand scheme of things the UK has colossal challenges, but these horrible dismissive attitudes to wildlife are frightening.

Because the birds love the berries and you get purple bird poop splattered over everything 😂

I've absolutely no idea but looking on google images it could have been because it did look very similar. It was beautiful and had been there for many years. previous tenants had a beautiful garden so its so sad to see it now in its current state.
I had no idea Laburnums could be poisonous I remember my neighbours having one when I was a child and I used to make bouquets with the flowers🫣

Was it a Paulownia? I have tried for ages to grow one but they don't like our soil. Wouldn't suggest Laburnum with small children, the fruit is poisonous (OP's pics have play equipment in garden).

I hope everyone that has lamented trees near them that have been cut down have planted trees in their own gardens

Get yourself out to the garden centre and buy some more lovely (and fast growing) trees. Plant them at the bottom of your garden.

id feel the same op its so sad. I felt the same a couple of years ago when new neighbours moved in at the end of our street and decided to chop a couple of beautiful trees down in a previously very well maintained garden. one of the trees was the most beautiful tree i had ever seen when it was in bloom around about may time. it had beautiful lilac coloured hanging plums that looked like wisteria. As soon as they moved in they just cut them down without any thought to put a trampoline in their place. Their garden is now an absolute tip with piles of rubbish and an old sofa dumped in it. the previous tenants would be heartbroken if they saw it now. it makes me angry ever time I walk past it.
No idea why people would rather look at grey concrete these days than beautiful greenery. theres even a stupid obsession to paint everything grey, including garden fences and walls in may area. I just dont get it at all.
Laburnum trees are particularly beautiful with their yellow flowers if you a looking for a tree op. should imagine they take many years to grow though.

They are not great in the autumn if you like to dry your washing outside!

Our Ash trees are dying from Ash Dieback.

I wouldn't be happy at all about that light but I guess if the trees have only just come down today they probably haven't realised they're making your baby's room brighter than the sun?
As @Redbushteaforme says, elder are really fast growing. Maybe also consider crab apple or buddleia - buddleia are fantastic for bees, butterflies, and hummingbird moths.