Villagers are anxiously awaiting a Scottish Government decision on the Monikie tree felling saga.
A series of delays in the enforcement battle have rumbled on since Forestry Commission Scotland blasted work undertaken at the former curling pond in January.
The operation to remove trees and undergrowth by Ayrshire-based Avancan Property Management were described as “exceptional” and likely to have had “significant effects on the environment”.
The firm was told to prepare a 10-year plan of maintenance measures to restore the land and replant trees in response to an enforcement notice by the watchdog following its investigation.
Site owner James Canavan applied to dissolve his company but was given until April 30 to appeal the enforcement notice.
The appeal was lodged by Mr Canavan’s solicitor, Davidson Chalmers from Edinburgh.
Forestry Commission Scotland said the appeal itself and its supporting documents “appear to challenge almost all the facts of the case”.
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It asked for a further extension of 28 days to allow its solicitors to prepare a response to all the points raised and have the site assessed by a specialist woodland ecologist.
The extension was granted and the case was submitted to Scottish ministers whose decision is expected to be issued this month.
Forestry Commission Scotland blamed the tree felling for wiping out a population of amphibians.
The company denied any wrongdoing and claimed it had “sympathetically” cleared an “eyesore” site which had become a fly-tipping hot spot.
The appeal claimed the works did not require consent and said it was “not likely that the deforestation works would have significant effects on the environment”.
Villagers believe wildlife could return to the woodland site in future despite the tree felling operation.
Iain Richmond said: “As a matter of interest and purely reflecting my own experience, the resilience and adaptability of nature which I’ve witnessed in my own backyard as it were, is astonishing.
“Eight years ago we built our house, having been granted planning permission, in a two-acre greenfield site which was formerly farmland.
“We landscaped the area planting trees, hedges and formal garden along with ‘rough ground’ areas.
“For a centre piece we constructed a pond stocked with pond fish and aquatic plants.
“Over the years and much to our astonishment and delight what was a field has now become a wildlife haven.
“We have dozens of toads and frogs every season visiting and of course herons, buzzards, raptors, owls and a wide variety of songbirds.
“There are roe deer, foxes, pheasants, ducks, rabbits, hedgehogs and any amount of other ‘creepy crawly’ insects, small mammals, stoats, weasels, newts and others such like yet to be identified.
“The point I’m trying to make is that although it is regrettable that a wildlife environment can be destroyed it is relatively easy in my opinion to create a thriving wildlife site cost effectively.”
