Anti-development campaigners have been given renewed hope to fight a proposed new 100-home estate in Seaton.

Residents against the development are delighted after an independent report, commissioned by Allerdale council, agrees that several trees at the site of the entrance to a proposed new development should remain under tree preservation orders.

Seaton parish councillor Joe Sandwith, who also represents the area on the borough council, said: “This is encouraging and it would be wonderful if it does help in the long run.

“It’s a little battle we’ve won, but we’re still fighting the war. It’s wrong to disregard the TPO for a development.

“This development is going to be absolutely horrific for the people of Seaton. Not just Low Seaton, but all of the village. Traffic alone there would be an extra 200 cars in that area, we are at saturation point now and for a county council to think it’s ok is beyond belief.”

Gill Brinicombe said: “As part of the Low Seaton anti-development group I am really happy that Allerdale has chosen to get their own arboriculturist report done to verify evidence given at the development panel and that the report supports keeping the tree preservation order in place and for the replanting of two trees that we are going to lose due to Ash dieback.

“I hope those trees remain as part of the landscape for years and years to come. They were there before us and I hope they can be there for generations after us and continue to support local wildlife as they currently do.”

Several trees at the site are at risk of being felled if the development is given the go-ahead.

Owners of the land – Trustees of the Copsey family – had applied to Allerdale council in August to remove the trees, saying they were diseased. This was accompanied by an aboriculturist assessment.

Campaigners against the build spoke at a recent Allerdale council development panel meeting and cited issues including drainage, flooding, the TPOs and wildlife as reasons for not giving permission for the build.

Seaton councillor Danny Horsley spoke at the meeting and said: “The trees have formed an integral part of the landscape of Low Seaton for about 200 years and any proposed replacement would not be the same.”

He added that allowing the trees to be felled for the development would suggest registering a TPO as worthless.

The decision to grant or refuse the development is on hold while the local planning authority look into these issues, but the new report by The Planning Branch Ltd has given campaigners fresh optimism, by concluding there is insufficient arboricultural justification given for the removal of two of the trees.

Trustees of the Copsey family estate were approached for a comment.

The application can be found at Allerdale council’s planning portal.