THE felling of an iconic Cedar of Lebanon tree on Wallbridge, Frome, which was 180 years old, has been criticised by a local historical tree specialist and local residents.
In 2021, Mendip District Council received an application to fell the tree, due to subsidence the tree was causing to the house next to it. There were 62 written objections to the felling, including those of several town and district councillors and the Woodland Trust.
The district council says other options were explored in order to save the tree from being felled. However, in March last year the application was approved and the tree was cut down last week, on Monday 6th February.
Mendip District Council said, “The council received a Tree Preservation Order tree works application, for the felling of a Cedar tree due to subsidence issues at 21 Wallbridge, Frome. When assessing the application, the council considered other options, including pruning, but this was not considered to be a viable solution to address the effect the tree was having on the property. The application was therefore approved on the 23rd March 2022.”
Local tree expert and author of books about trees and forests, Julian Hight, has condemned the felling and said it could and should have been saved. He said, “I mourn the loss of this heritage tree for its cultural, environmental and aesthetic value as part of Frome’s urban forest.
“I counted 180 annual growth rings on the sawn trunk – which measured almost 3 metres in circumference – which means the tree has been sequestering carbon, absorbing water and providing habitat for wildlife for 180 years. It was likely planted as a young sapling, shortly after construction of the house in the mid-nineteenth century.
“When the application was being considered, an alternative was suggested to felling the tree – the construction of a root barrier which was estimated at a cost of £30,000, but this was rejected by the insurance company.”
Local residents took to Frome Times’ social media pages to react to the felling, many expressing their sorrow about the loss of the iconic tree. One local resident said, “This is so incredibly sad! I can’t imagine what thousands of ecosystems exist on that tree! Another added, “Devastating…I do appreciate the difficulties that tree roots can cause to buildings, but this seems pretty drastic for an innocent tree that has stood the test of time so far. God knows how many generations that tree has seen come and go, it does seem fair or right.”
However, some sympathised with the owners of the property. One said, “I have sympathy for the house owner, situations like this can cause havoc with getting buildings insurance and having the tree removed is a last resort when the foundations are being damaged.”
