Camden residents have criticised "appalling" and "totally unnecessary” plans to remove 20 trees while repair work is carried out on a Grade II listed wall near Regent’s Park.

Some people living in Chester Terrace say that they are worried about the impact that removing trees in the neighbouring gardens will have on noise and air pollution in the area.

But the Crown Estate Paving Commission, which manages Chester Terrace Gardens, claims that the major excavations needed to stabilise the gardens’ wall are not possible without the loss of the adjacent trees.

Out of more than 20 responses to the planning application on Camden Council’s website, just two express support for the proposals.

One objector said that the proposed work was "totally unnecessary", while another said that the plan to strip the garden of its mature trees was "appalling".

One resident said: “The current row of trees provides not only noise protection from the busy circular road, but also helps to mitigate air pollution.

“Moreover, Regent's Park is an extremely popular destination for Londoners and the trees currently act as a privacy screen for the residents of the terrace.”

Under current proposals, 20 trees would be removed from the gardens, which date back to the 19th century, while the existing wall is replaced due to the current structure’s “poor condition”.

Only 11 of these trees would eventually be replaced, something that planning documents claim would return Chester Terrace to its “originally open character”.

These documents also claim that the roots of some of the existing trees have damaged the wall’s foundations and are “among the reasons for its structural deterioration”.

But many residents have disagreed, claiming that they have not observed any deterioration in the wall's condition over the last few years, and that the trees “add character” to the area.

Nick Packard, director of the Crown Estate Paving Commission, said: “During the last three years the Crown Estate Paving Commission has explored more than 10 different options for repairing the balustrade, wall and foundations at Chester Terrace. 

“Each of the three independent structural engineering consultants engaged on the project (one as the ongoing consultant with the other two asked to review the first’s work) advise that due to the ground conditions any meaningful work to stabilise the structure will involve loss or reduction of a significant number of the adjacent trees in the garden. 

“The scheme selected will provide long term stability whereas lesser repair works risk not resolving the issues of movement leading to repeated work plus longer-term disruption to the terrace and garden. 

“All garden rate payers of Chester Terrace were asked for their view on the options before a decision on which to pursue was taken by the commission.”