Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot is due to meet the landowner at the centre of a row over the proposed felling of 25 elm trees in St Mark’s.

He is due to meet representatives of the applicant, Wide Acre Ltd, in the wake of the row that has followed the granting of planning permission to create a new vehicle access at Ballavarvane Farm in St Mark’s, which would include the felling of trees.

It has sparked angry protests. More than 45,000 people have signed a petition against the felling and campaigners are now raising funds in case of the need for court action.

Mr Boot said he did not agree with the felling of the elm trees but admitted but there nothing he could do to stop the controversial scheme, because all the procedures had been followed correctly before planning approval was granted and the ’window of opportunity’ for opponents to appeal had passed.

He pointed out no organisation had raised an objection during the planning process. That included Malew Commissioners, which he said was a ’sad indictment’.

The situation was only highlighted after the expiry date for any appeal.

’I am not saying that I like the situation and I would like to be able to do something about it,’ Mr Boot said.

As the minister who ultimately would have to deal with any appeals against planning decisions, he said he was never involved in the initial consideration of planning applications. No appeal had been lodged against the initial planning decision and ministers could not overturn planning approvals on a ’whim’, without any formal appeal.

The only way to set aside the planning approval was either via a petition of doleance in the courts, claiming correct procedures were not followed, or by negotiating with the applicant.

’I am meeting the applicant and their architect on Friday,’ he told MHKs on Tuesday after the issue was raised as an urgent question.

’They will be aware of what is happening here and what has happened elsewhere with the petition so it will be interesting to see what their reaction is.

’This is an unfortunate case and I really regret it.’

Protestors gathered outside the House of Keys before Tuesday’s sitting and then packed the gallery to hear what MHKs had to say. Speaker Juan Watterson had to repeatedly warn them to be quiet amid cries of ’shame’ and ’save the trees’.

During the debate, the presence of bats in the elm trees was put forward as one way to put a brake on any immediate felling of the trees.

MHKs were told bats in the area had been captured on video and Mr Boot said if that was the case no felling would be allowed until safety was assured and a potential new home found.

A site report by the Manx Bat Group, in February, said a ’lack of obvious roosting features’ and the presence of better migration corridors nearby meant it did not feel a further more detailed investigation was required during the active bat season of spring/summer.

However, it did not rule out the presence of bat roosts being discovered in future and pointed out that if that happened all felling work would have to ’stop immediately’ under the law as bats are a protected species.

Mr Boot pledged to investigate further.

He also defended the current system for publicising planning applications, saying all planning applications appeared on a government website and that local authorities were on notification lists - and there was the requirement for a copy of the application to be placed near the site in question.