PLANS to fell a row of trees and hedgerow bordering a main Blackwood Road have angered residents.

A petition objecting to proposals made by Caerphilly Council has been signed by 54 people living in Cedar Close, Hawthorn Drive and Laurel Drive in Pontllanfraith, and will be presented to the council.

The residents say the trees and hedgerows form a barrier between their roads and the busy A4049.

If the trees are felled, they say it could be hazardous to children who play in the area, as there is a steep bank running down the road.

They are also concerned about noise pollution from traffic, impact on the environment, as the habitat for birds and animals would be destroyed, and a loss of privacy.

Peter Henderson, who has lived in Cedar Close since the houses were built almost 40 years ago, said he would consider moving if the trees were cut right down.

"We moved here originally because of the privacy those trees offered," he said.

"It was a safe place where the children could play, and now the grandchildren play there."

Another resident, Julie Welch, added some of the trees were up to 60 feet tall and years old - and the area is a habitat for field mice, squirrels, and bats.

Councillor Keith Griffiths, Caerphilly council's new cabinet member for highways and transport, visited the site last week.

He told Campaign the plans to cut down the trees have now been put on hold and that nothing would be done before residents had been consulted.

"They are beautiful trees, and just to lop them down would be absolutely disgraceful and a sacrilege," he added.

"They provide a sound barrier for some of the bungalows and are also a habitat for birds of all sorts."