A CAMPAIGNER has won the first round of his legal battle to stop trees being chopped down near Southampton Airport.

Gareth Narbed is currently funding legal action to stop Southampton City Council axing the trees at Marlhill Copse.

Now, the High Court has ordered the council to halt the work, which was due to start today.

Justice Martin Spencer ordered on Friday that “the Interested Party be restrained... from carrying out any tree-related work at Marlhill Copse, near Southampton Airport, until further order”.

It goes on to progress Gareth’s application for a judicial review against the felling “for urgent consideration”.

It comes after the 61-year-old from Bitterne Park organised protests last month against a planning application to fell 27 trees on the land bought by Southampton Airport in August last year.

Airport bosses said they do not have plans for development on the site, but that the airport is legally required to manage the height of trees in areas close to the runway.

Speaking to the Echo after the order was granted, Gareth said: “It’s very good news. I’m feeling pretty optimistic about the next stages.”

However, he revealed he had “a lot on the line”, spending £6,000 of his own money to get this far. He said: “At the moment it’s my pension fund (paying for the legal action).

“I’m doing it that way because it’s an awful lot quicker and easier, but we’re going to get a crowdfunding thing set up.”

He added the campaign group, Friends of Marlhill Copse, would be working with environmental campaigners Extinction Rebellion to raise funds for lawyers from Richard Buxton Solicitors.

As previously reported, Gareth launched organised protests against the work after going out for a walk. He said: “I went for a walk from my house to the garden centre and craft shop in Mansbridge Road and came across the tree-felling markings.

“It was my horror at the destruction proposed that led me to find out what was going on.”

A spokeswoman for the airport explained the work is to ensure planes can take off and land safely, adding: “The vast majority of those trees marked are minor crown reductions.”

Southampton City Council leader Cllr Chris Hammond and deputy leader Cllr Jacqui Rayment have been approached for comment, but were not available. Cllr Dave Shields, cabinet member for community wellbeing, declined to comment due to the ongoing legal case.