Somerset County Council has said this week it is “looking at all available options” for the future of an historic tree in Burnham-On-Sea that was set to be cut down due to safety concerns.
But, as we reported last week, a group of concerned local residents, pictured above, stepped in to save the large tree at the junction of Rectory Road and Berrow Road.
They are concerned about a lack of notice and consultation regarding the proposed removal and add that the tree should be pollarded – not fully cut down – to make it safe to motorists and pedestrians underneath while promoting its growth. Also, because they say bats use the tree, a full ecology report should be completed before any work.
A spokesperson for Somerset County Council said on Monday (October 3rd): “We fully appreciate the importance of this tree, both to the local environment and the community. However, our priority at all times has to be to keep people safe.”
“Since a recent incident when a very large branch fell from the tree, our expert arboriculturist team has carried out extensive investigations to assess the tree and the potential danger it may pose to the public. These investigations revealed several cracks and the potential for further branch failures.”
“We are currently awaiting our ecologist’s report which will indicate whether the tree is inhabited by bats.”
”Once this is complete we will look at all available options and update the community on next steps as soon as possible.”
The council supplied the photo below of a large branch that recently fell from the tree to demonstrate the concerns over safety.
