1 week Ago By [email protected] (Fionn Burrows)
A concerned resident is making it her mission to save an ancient oak which she worries will be killed by proposed tree works. An application has been submitted to drastically reduce the size of a roughly 80ft to 90ft tall oak tree, estimated to be between 250 and 300 years old, off Walton’s Lane in North Muskham. The applicant describes the work as being necessary to remove dead or damaged wood and weak branches, which if were to break could cause further damage to lower branches, properties, or pose a danger to anyone in the area.
However, concerned village resident and wildlife lover Sara Chadd wants to see the “fantastic oak tree” protected as much as possible and was critical of the proposals which would see the tree effectively cut in half. She says that the plans would devastate local wildlife as the oak is a central biodiversity hub for dozens of animals and bird species including owls and Greenfinches, as well as bats, toads, and insects. Ms Chadd is planning to launch a petition to prevent the tree works from going ahead, and has made requests to Newark and Sherwood District Council for the application to be properly scrutinised at a planning committee meeting.
“They’re going to kill it,” she said. “If they take the top off, within a year it will be dead and then what will happen? “Trees like this are the bedrock of biodiversity and support so much wildlife. They are the key and this is a special case which deserves protection.
“If we just keep planting new trees elsewhere, it doesn’t do the same job. “I want these priority habitats to be properly considered and for the council to realise what that means. “This is a principle that needs establishing and if they are at all bothered about biodiversity this needs to be stopped.
” Ms Chadd added that in recent years a number of other trees in and around the village had been removed and said they had more benefits beyond providing a home for wildlife. She said that mature trees can act as a wind shield and visual screening, as well alleviating noise and pollution from the nearby A1, and reducing flood risk by absorbing ground water. She was not opposed to caring for the tree by making necessary cuts, but believed the overall proposals to be too drastic.
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