They are cutting down our old oak tree

[claybasket]

The Council have decided to cut a old oak by 75% they said it was dangerous if it fell ,it like a masseur,  I love trees and it seem over the top the amount they are hacking down,the squirrel is homeless the amount of birds that used it for sheltering in bad weather and just for a perch,the tree must be 200yrs old very sad to watch it go down to a stump its so ugly.  :'(

[claybasket]

[ACE]

In the wild it would be left to it's own devices and bits would fall off and new branches will regenerate. Unfortunately the council has to be in mind of bits falling off and hurting people. A compensation claim would soon be on the cards if they didn't. A grey squirrel losing its perch is the least of their worries and birds will always find another tree to sit in and eye somebodies crops.

200 years is nothing to an oak  it will go on for years and regenerate with safer branches.  It must have  a TPO on it otherwise they would have taken down the lot.

[peanuts]

We had a beautiful oak tree, more than 200 years old, very near our house.  Last year we were advised that although it looked in good health, there were starting to be little signs that all was not well.  It was a hard and expensive decision to have it taken down, as it needed particularly skilled tree surgeons, and a huge crane, because of where it was.

It took two days to fell, and it was sad. The second day was devoted to the trunk which was cut into five pieces, each weighing over a ton.



When the base was finally revealed, it was a sobering sight.  on the next photo you can see that the only part that was in good health was the outside inch or two of the trunk.  That was the only strength  left.  Inside from that the wood was rotting.  Most of the middle was completely rotten, and had the consistency of a soft wet sponge that you could poke your finger into. This sponge went right down several feet underground, and for at least the first two metres upwards as well.  Given a severe gale, of which we have a fair number, it could easily have landed right on our house! Or fallen on the road and caused deaths.

As for birds, we have  missed the regular bullfinches and hawfinches this year, so perhaps they were regular nestmakers. but as we have many trees, I hope they will return.
And although councils seem now to take  no risks at all,  within the last year, two trees have fallen locally, quite unexpectedly, in seeming good health, one crushing a car, and the other killing one person.  Sadly, sometimes it is necessary to fell a beautiful and loved tree.

[claybasket]

Thanks Ace and Peanut,your brought me to my senses safety first,the good thing for me is the shadow over the garden on a sunny evening has gone and things look much brighter .

[fitzsie]

We had a beautiful oak tree, more than 200 years old, very near our house.  Last year we were advised that although it looked in good health, there were starting to be little signs that all was not well.  It was a hard and expensive decision to have it taken down, as it needed particularly skilled tree surgeons

Peanuts,, do you mind me asking how much it cost you? We have an oak tree, close to the house which is under a preservation order. We were told if we ever had to have it cut down it would cost us £2,000 and we wouldn't get to keep the wood !!

[peanuts]

Fitzsie, I'm not sure our price will be much of a guide to you.  We live in SW France!  Our tree wasn't under a preservation order, as far as we know.  We just arranged it, and had to inform the Mairie, and the tree surgeons had to have written permission to close the  road as necessary, as it is a departmental road. It cost us about €1800, ( approx £1700 at the time) but we kept all the wood!  as you can see, there was a lot, and we reckon we have wood for the next 10 years. It took much time and many hands of neighbours  to cut, split and stack the wood though. Very useful, as  we mainly heat by wood, in order to avoid using our fuel boiler!

[bridgehouse]

If a tree is unsafe I suppose it has to come down ,very sad to see these lovely trees go.
Where I live in Shirley, West Midlands, we are into a so called regeneration program the high street.  well the top and bottom of this story is the council have cut down a lovely old oak tree, and the making of a small wood. all around this lovely old oak was a circle of juvenile oaks. underneath bluebells and wood anemones grew, all gone destroyed
  what for. another Suppermarket,[Asda] that not many people want or need how often in anyone's life time can you watch a wild wood grow ,not any more here . so now the high street will die, and the little wood has gone .what is left nothing. such a shame . I could weep .Sorry you have lost your lovely tree.

   June.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I remember back in the 1980's, Restormel Council caused a fair bit of unhappiness cutting down a gorgeous coper beech to make way for a shopping mall. The mall lasted a few years and closed, as by that time everyone shopped in Truro anyway.

[peanuts]

June, I am so sad about your oak tree, saplings, bluebells and anemones all gone.  Some people will never have noticed them.  But others will have treasured them for years.
It was sad to see our oak tree felled, but a huge relief when we realised just how sick it was, and how much risk we were in, especially as our bedroom was on that corner of the house!
Mind you, there are positives - more sunshine on that side of the house in the winter, so not so cold.  No more oak leaves piling up everywhere (we have plenty of other leaves though!), and hooray, no more acorns.

[grannyjanny]

A young child was killed in Dunham Massey on  New Years Day a few years ago, a tree fell on him. The tree was unsafe & had gone unnoticed. So sad & what a day to lose a child.

[Aden Roller]

A young child was killed in Dunham Massey on  New Years Day a few years ago, a tree fell on him. The tree was unsafe & had gone unnoticed. So sad & what a day to lose a child.

New trees can be planted but a lost child can never be replaced. I know which we would all prefer to see go.. sad though that may be for a while.