A tree preservation order on several thousand trees which act as a barrier between a set of turkey units and a north Norfolk village will remain in place, councillors agreed yesterday.

ATREE preservation order on several thousand trees which act as a barrier between a set of turkey units and a north Norfolk village will remain in place, councillors have agreed.

The order relates to around 8,500 trees between Briston and Turkey Farm, on Norwich Road.

The woodland was planted several years ago to address prolonged complaints about smell from the Bernard Matthews unit, which is next to the Stody Estate.

North Norfolk District Council officers implemented the order as a result of a controversial pending application for two new reservoirs for the estate. The reservoirs, if they are built, would require a new access road through the woodland.

Bernard Matthews bosses argued the order was "inappropriate and unnecessary" because only 3pc of the trees would be cut down, which would be easily outweighed by the 10pc of annual growth within the rest of the woodland.

However, local people argued that the woodland was too important and too effective at fulfilling its intended purpose to be threatened.