Council refuses to take action despite tree fear
GoogleA council has said it cannot do anything about a large tree that residents fear could fall and flatten their homes.
John Kirton, who lives in Witton-le-Wear in County Durham, said the 82ft (25m)-high tree poses a danger to both his and a neighbouring property. He said broken branches had already slammed into his roof during heavy winds.
The 81-year-old applied to reduce the tree's height by 13 to 16ft (4 to 5m) – approximately one-third of the tree – so that if it fell it would not hit nearby properties.
However, Durham County Council refused saying the tree was protected, healthy and the risk of it falling was "very low".
'No obvious risk'
The tree shortening was refused by the council's planning committee last week, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The lime tree is protected by a tree preservation order and council planners warned that cutting it back would adversely impact the character and appearance of the surrounding area.
A planning report said: "The lime tree is a healthy, mature specimen that has been reduced in height in the past (most recently in 2022) and presents no obvious risk features.
"The risk of the tree falling is considered to be very low."
Kirton said his and a neighbouring property in Witton-le-Wear were dwarfed by the huge tree which had grown considerably over the years.
He told the committee: "In the event that the lime tree in our garden was to come down in a storm, the subsequent damage to both properties, because of the current height of the tree, would be enormous and quite possibly involve full or at least partial rebuilds."
He said branches breaking off the tree and hitting his home had heightened his and his wife's anxiety.
"During the night, we were awakened by a large crash on the roof as a result of a branch hitting the roof at considerable speed," he said.
"This was just one of many disturbed nights we have experienced in similar conditions."
'Overcutting is risky'
About £1,200 has been spent on trimming the tree in recent years but authorised work was limited to some small branches.
Kirton was supported by Reform's Adrian Schulman, county councillor for Crook, and Richard Bell, Conservative for Upper Teesdale, who urged members to "use common sense" and back his plea.
But Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Wilkes said he feared the proposal could worsen the tree's condition in the future.
"If we were to approve this application, we would potentially put the applicant at a greater risk than we are now," he said.
"I wouldn't want to make this tree less stable from overcutting and then potentially more branches come down if there is a storm."
