Permission sought to fell dead oak and replace it with a new oak tree

With all the upset over the thuggish chopping down of the Sycamore Gap tree in Northumbria, it’s understandable that anyone wanting to get rid of a tree in West Berkshire states the case.

Every week there are dozens of applications to either fell or trim trees in the district.

But it is rare to see one with such care taken on the application form to show how much effort has been made to save a tree.

An applicant from Wellingtonia Drive in Crookham Common wants to cut the dead oak tree down, and re-plant a new oak tree in its place.

Or, as they say to the council planners, “as near as we can with the roots”.

The application says the oak tree's roots were flooded quite a few times over the winter of 2021, 2022 and 2023 and throughout 2023.

“We dug a trench and put a pipe in to help drain the water from the tree however this has not remedied the situation,” the applicant said.

“In the last storm a substantial amount of dead branches came off the tree and our arborist and other professionals we've had in have confirmed it's dead. We have given the tree over a year to recover, however it did not produce any leaves last year at all.

“The main trunk is mostly solid and on more detailed inspection, is starting to rot in places, however there are a significant number of dead branches which pose a hazard to people in the garden as a result.

“We would like to replant it with an oak or something to cope with the damp soil. There is a fairly young oak established nearby which is away from the flooding zone and that is growing well.”

The application was lodged with West Berkshire Council this week.