A local wildlife group has become increasingly worried that the Nottingham tree contained a bat box
Louis Corbett Trainee Reporter
06:00, 26 Mar 2026
A picture showing the tree being felled on Edingley Square(Image: Jacq Checkland-Rae)
When chainsaws started ringing out in Edingley Square, residents were shocked as the age-old cedar tree was felled before their very eyes, with some saying the contractors were also none the wiser as to why the council had decided to fell the tree.
Nottingham City Council has explained that the cedar tree in the Sherwood cul-de-sac was felled on Thursday, March 19, due to safety concerns raised following an inspection.
Yet a local wildlife group has become increasingly worried that the tree felled contained a bat box built by a mother and daughter as part of Wild.NG’s (a local volunteer environmental group) project, despite the council’s contractors stating no box was present at the time of felling.
Nottinghamshire Live understands that this bat box was installed on the tree in 2022, as volunteers have provided photographic evidence of its installation.
Trish Evans, of Wild.NG, said: “We created something called the bat super flyway.
“We created bat boxes with communities and families, and we all made them and donated them to community spaces.
“I think it was about 20 of them. We documented where they all were, and Edingley Square had three boxes.
Rachel and Eva are holding the bat boxes they built for Wild.NG’s project(Image: Submitted)
“We have photo evidence of this. It was very much a community project, but it was all done to care for the bats.
“On the back of the boxes were the names of the people who made them, and with that one, it was a mother and daughter.
“They labelled that, it was 100 per cent on that tree.
“When you see this type of action happening without any communication with residents there, it’s disappointing. Whilst we respect the council’s need to manage trees for safety, it’s just the way they conduct themselves.”
Jacq Checkland-Rae, a resident of the road, said: “I was really shocked and upset as it was such a beautiful tree, and from our perspective it kind of hides HMP Nottingham, and now it’s gone it is more visible and just ruins the area at the moment.
“I saw they were trimming them, and they just kept going, so I went out and asked.
“The green is in the middle of the square, and everyone looks out onto it.
A picture of Wild.NG installing the bat box on the tree(Image: Submitted)
“Everyone is confused about it; there are even neighbours that I didn’t think would care, but they are all quite upset and sad about it.
“With all the wildlife that has lost its home, it’s just really upsetting. I keep seeing birds sitting on top of the trunk, and they just look confused.”
Nottingham City Council have also stated that the trees will be replanted in the next planning season, which begins in October and runs until March of the next year.
The council have stated that they contacted the contractors who carried out the work, who said they conducted a wildlife assessment and an ecological survey, and found no bat or bird boxes in the canopy and no concerns regarding local wildlife.
A Nottingham City Council Spokesperson said: “We recognise that it is always difficult to lose a mature tree, and decisions like this are never taken lightly. After detailed discussions between the tree inspector and our tree officer, followed by a second site visit, it became clear that the tree’s condition had significantly deteriorated.
“The union of the codominant stems had worsened considerably since the previous inspection four years ago, beginning to split near ground level. When assessing the limb extending over the road, internal decay was also detected, likely linked to an unsealed wound.”
“Given these factors, and our responsibility to protect the safety of residents and road users, the decision was made to remove the tree. While this is a sad outcome, it was necessary to prevent the risk of structural failure and ensure public safety.”