An exhibition to draw attention to the benefits of 81 trees which are scheduled to be chopped down will be staged by 17 artists.

Winns Gallery in Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, will host the exhibition featuring print, photography, paintings and sculpture from Thursday, October 25 to Sunday 28.

Entitled Reading Between the Limes, the free event aims to demonstrate the positive effects of the mature lime trees from improving people’s mental health to absorbing pollution.

Eighty-one of the 125 trees along a pathway passing through Walthamstow Town Square will be felled as part of a multi-million pound development which includes four high-rise tower blocks and retail units.

Linda Green, the artist who organised the exhibition, said she was “overwhelmed” by the response from artists wanting to get involved after putting out a call earlier this year.

Ms Green said: “These magnificent trees have both historical and aesthetic value.

“They’ve been here for at least 100 years and to remove them simply to channel footfall to a new retail space is a tragedy.

“It will take over 40 years for any new trees to mature, and for every one mature tree that comes down, 100 would need to be planted in order to equal the environmental benefit.

“Public policy and science recognises the vital part mature trees, especially large species, play in healthy cities.

“So many local artists felt they wanted to do something to voice their concern over this loss and having written to the council and held protests, an exhibition commemorating these beautiful trees seemed fitting.”

Waltham Forest Council who passed the controversial plans last December

said for every tree cut down in the square, five more will be planted elsewhere in the borough.