Institution claims it chopped down poplars to save protected grassland but locals were shocked to wake up to sound of chainsaws
Oxford University is facing a backlash after it began felling nearly 100 trees in a village with no advanced warning.
Ninety poplar trees that form a key noise barrier with the A34, are being felled by the university between the villages of Wolvercote and Wytham.
The university said the trees had been felled to protect biodiversity in a site of scientific interest.
Steven Robinson, a local resident, said: “We had no notification that this was going to happen and still have not heard from the university. There has been absolutely nothing on an issue that clearly impacts all of us.”