Community campaigns to save 300-year-old English oak tree

A LOCAL community is campaigning to save a 300-year-old English oak tree from being cut down on Westwood Drive, Frome.

An application to remove the tree, which is under a Tree Protection Order and considered a ‘veteran’ tree in Frome, was submitted to Somerset Council in March after an insurance claim was made, stating the tree was causing subsidence and structural damage to a neighbouring house.

In the report submitted by Arboricultural Consultancy for Lloyds Bank, it says the damage is due to clay shrinkage and subsidence, which is exacerbated by vegetation. However, it also says the property falls within a ‘range of a quantity of vegetation located on or near the site.’

Objecting to the application on the basis that the evidence does not 100% conclude the English oak tree as the cause of damage, Frome Town Council said, “This is such a valuable tree that the decision to fell should not rest on the balance of probabilities. The depth test was not able to reach full depth. The issue is more likely to be due to the clay soil and inadequate foundations of the garage. An alternative must be found, either a root protection barrier or the underpinning of the foundations.”

The town’s tree specialist, Julian Hight, also objected to the application and said, “The oak is specimen trees of high value, playing a major contribution to the character of the area, and its felling would be a major loss to the aesthetic quality of the town. The veteran tree is a lesson in nature through the seasons, hosting more life than any other British tree species. I strongly argue retaining this heritage tree, the benefits of its cultural, environmental and aesthetic value as part of Frome’s urban forest, surely outweighing the cost of works to maintain.”

Residents have also objected to the tree being cut down, citing its impact on the environment, a loss of heritage, and the aesthetics of the area.

One resident said, “These trees are rare and this one is rightly protected. It is of great benefit visually and emotionally to local residents and provides important habitat to local wildlife. As part of the historical landscape, it is irreplaceable. It predates the estate by centuries and (if left alone) could outlive it for centuries more.”

However, one resident has commented in support of felling the tree and says they are also currently undergoing a subsidence claim as a result of the tree in question and they have accompanying evidence from their insurance company.