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Giant Tree Felled After Dropping Branches on Homes
14 Nov
Summary
- A 140-year-old giant tree was felled due to falling branches.
- Residents feared for safety after branches damaged nearby bungalows.
- A planning inspector overruled a council order to protect the tree.
A 140-year-old wellingtonia tree, a protected specimen dating back to the 1880s, has been ordered to be felled after years of residents' concerns. The tree, standing 21 meters tall, repeatedly dropped branches onto adjacent bungalows on Lindfield Drive in Wellington. Tree owner Jonathan Rickell appealed to a government planning inspector after Telford & Wrekin Council initially refused permission for its removal.
Planning inspector Elaine Benson visited the site and acknowledged the tree's significant visual impact on the area. However, she concluded that the damage caused to nearby homes and the ongoing risk from falling limbs were more critical. A resident, aged 92, reported a "very close escape" when a branch fell near their front door.
The inspector's decision, announced on Thursday, noted the tree's "long history of limb failure." While there is a strong presumption against removing healthy, protected trees, the inspector found that the risks could no longer be mitigated by standard arboricultural management. Rickell and the council must agree on a replacement, though a wellingtonia is deemed inappropriate for the location.
