PROTESTERS campaigning to protect a 150-year-old tree are planning a “festival” featuring music, talks and stalls as they call to “stop the chop”.

Southend Tree Action Group, made up of campaigning Southend residents, have organised the protest for this Saturday and are expecting dozens of campaigners to descend on the High Street.

The “Save Chester Festival”, named after the 150-year-old London plane tree in Chichester Road identified, will begin under the railway bridge in Southend High Street on Saturday before moving to the site of the tree.

The tree is considered a “health and safety risk” as it hangs over the street and takes up a large amount of the pavement.

“Chester” was set to be removed as part of plans to redevelop the former Churchill’s Diner site and protesters have submitted a tree protection order to Southend Council Organiser and Shoebury resident, Tim Fransen, hopes the protest will raise awareness of the importance of the tree.

He said: “Chester is providing a totem for trees around the city as well as nationally.

“We will be holding a large event, bigger than ever before, with speakers and musicians. We also have poets set to perform at the festival and we are still trying to bring more people down as well.

“Our aim here is to get more signatures for our petitions to protect Chester and to provide more awareness of the risk it faces. People can also meet up and celebrate the tree with us.

“We will be holding mini marches to Chester and we will be holding tours down to him too. He is just around the corner from where we are.

“As well as that, we will have kindly been provided with a stand in the Ironworks in Southend High Street, so we will be directing people there for tea and coffee.”

Tim hopes that the event will also highlight a motion put forward by councillor’s Tricia Cowdrey and Richard Longstaff which would see the right-hand turn from Chichester Road removed and the pavement widened.

A council spokesperson said: “An application for making a tree preservation order has been submitted to the council. It would not be appropriate to comment further while that is being considered.”