IT'S a view of Pershore that's changed in many ways through the years.

But what has always remained is the avenue of trees that line Broad Street.

In the past few days the current trees, planted 12 years ago, have been scaled back, or pollarded, after a row broke out as to their future.

Some people have called for the London plane trees to be felled and possibly replaced with a new species, while others have begun campaigning on social media to keep the trees.

The saga has rumbled on and will continue to do so until later this year, after the May elections, when a public consultation will be held to gage public opinion on what should happen to the trees.

In the mean time the trees are now in a hugely reduced state, almost allowing people to see what the street would look like if they were removed completely.

One Pershore town councillor Val Wood has long been calling for something to be done about the London plane trees as the roots have pushed up the pavements leaving them in a dangerous condition.

"The pollarding has solved the immediate problem of them invading people's houses and gives time for the consultation to take place and for everyone to air their views," said Cllr Wood.

"My main concern is to get the pavements in a safe condition. The services have become so bad they have to be totally renewed, I suspect. I don't see how that can happen without the removal of the trees.

"My concern is the safety, we want someone done before there's a major incident."

In the past weeks some temporary work was done on the pavements to make them less of a hazard, but in the past elderly residents say they have fallen as a result of the uneven ground.

In February Pauline Boycott, aged 72, Masons Ryde, off Defford Road, contacted the Journal to say she had fallen in October last year as a result of the pavement in front of the Baptist Church in Broad Street.

And eighty-five year old Ray Green, of Defford Road, said she had to watch where she walked to avoid tripping, calling for something to be done.

But former Pershore resident, Shirley Agg, who has always been in favour of keeping the trees, said this could have been avoided should the trees have been maintained properly.

"I am very pleased that at last the trees have been pollarded," she said. "I hope this will make the people of Pershore very proud of Broad Street and realised that with a bit of maintenance the trees will be absolutely fine.

"I'm sorry people have fallen but it goes back to maintenance.

"I don't think they have been maintained properly."

A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: "The trees were pollarded following consultation and have been maintained correctly. The County Council is continuing to work closely with Wychavon District Council and the County arborculturalist, consulting on the best way forward for the trees."