A BELT of white beam, mountain ash, silver birch and wild cherry trees on land behind Parkfield, at Swarthmoor, can be felled so that new drains can be installed to relieve flooding problems, planners agreed.

South Lakeland District Council's environmental protection manager asked for permission to chop down the protected trees, and said a belt of vegetation with shallow roots would be replanted along the boundary once the drainage works had been completed.

Planning committee members agreed to the request.