A LARGE number of trees planted at a West Devon beauty spot will 'dramatically' alter the view for many residents and visitors, it was claimed at a public meeting last week. Dartmoor National Park has come under fire for not consulting residents about the proposal — some of the trees, planted on 1.9 hectares of land at Belstone, could reach heights of up to 40ft once fully mature. Almost 3,000 trees have been planted, of which close to 200 will mature to reach full size. The man who planted them, GP David Gundry, said trees were 'the lungs of the Earth', and would help the fight against climate change. The meeting followed a letter in the Times last month, in which resident Richard Norrish raised concerns about the planting and the erection of 8ft high fences on the land at Perryman's Farm. The meeting was told the area has been enclosed by a wire fence to ensure the trees' growth is not stunted by deer in the area who might graze on the saplings. The majority of the trees planted consist of large scale varieties — more than threequarters are ash, oak, birch or beech. Skaigh Lane resident Alan Gill said the trees would have an impact on a greater number of people than the residents of Belstone as the visually appealing definitive boundary between the rough and naturally beautiful land of the valley was the subject of many artists' and photographers' work. He said: 'How the view will change once the trees are fully matured is difficult to judge. It remains to be seen what effect they will have but they will certainly alter the view quite dramatically.' Mr Gill said the unspoilt views were a reason why many residents had chosen to live in Belstone. Peter Kearny, another resident of Skaigh Lane, asked: 'Why wasn't a planning consultation or a meeting like this held in the early summer last year when this was planned?' Rupert Lane, principal woodlands officer for Dartmoor National Park Authority, told the meeting it was the landowner's responsibility to inform residents of the plans. Mr Lane and the DNPA believed this consultation had taken place and told the Forestry Commission there had been no objections to the scheme. But the owners of some properties on Skaigh Lane had not been consulted because it was felt the trees would not cause them any problems. These residents produced evidence at the meeting showing that between 50% and 70% of their view could be lost. The DNPA told Belstone Parish Council of the plans in a letter sent in November. The parish council only had 14 days to respond, a time period it felt was too short. Mr Lane said: 'There was a response from Belstone Parish Council, saying there should be full community involvement but we thought that had already happened. 'I think there has been a lack of understanding of what consultation meant. 'The consultation could have been more involved and lengthy. We've learnt our lesson and will be encouraging more involvement with the community in the future.' Mr Lane added that there were meetings arranged with residents on Skaigh Lane for later in the month and the DNPA would be working towards appeasing residents' concerns. John Gibbons, who moved to Belstone because of the view from his house, said: 'The first I heard about this was on December 22 after the trees had already been planted. 'No one in Okehampton or any of the other surrounding areas has been told about this and it is these people who come to Belstone most weekends to enjoy the view. It is a gateway to Dartmoor and there will be a whole lot of people with an interest in this. 'It is a completely flawed procedure to expect the applicant to complete the consultation process, the DNPA should do the consultation themselves. 'If we'd been consulted about this six months ago then our questions and concerns could have been aired and answered then.' Dr Gundry said he planted the tress on his land in order to try and help in the global fight against climate change in whatever way he could. He said: 'Trees are the lungs of the Earth. There are those who feel the fight against climate change is hopeless. I sympathise with them but I cannot accept this. Maybe this fight is our generation's struggle. 'We treasure the views like all those around us do and feel that all houses will continue to enjoy them, in some seasons the view may well be enhanced. 'We have no plans for planting further areas of our land and hope that the deer fence can be removed within ten years. 'We cannot live in a world, or a Belstone, without change but we regret that something we felt was good for Belstone and the environment has caused misunderstanding within the village.' Children from South Tawton and Okehampton Primary Schools were involved with the planting of the trees. One student said she felt proud to be involved in a project on her doorstep that was designed to help ensure a sustainable future for the environment.