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Update from Councillor Steve Holder

You may have seen the fence around the horse chestnut tree at the coach and horses.

We have been advised that the tree is dying and that it has a fungal disease. Fullers have had a tree survey and advised us the tree is also damaging the structure of the pub.

SODC tree officer has been out to review the tree and this is part of the report.

“Advisory: T2 is a prominent tree with significant landscape value and contributes to the character of the area. A site inspection undertaken by a council tree officer found the tree to have significant structural defects that reduce its safe useful life expectancy. There was also evidence of direct damage to the building caused by the main stem exerting pressure on the brickwork due to its close proximity to the outer wall. For these reasons the tree does not meet the criteria for inclusion in a Tree Preservation Order and the council does not object to the removal of the tree.”

We at the town council have had our tree surgeon out to survey the tree and we will also get an ecologist out to check for birds nesting before anything is done. A final decision will be made at the general purposes meeting on Monday 25th April at 7:30pm.

We will also be finding a spaces suitable to plant trees to help offset.

We understand the sadness this will cause.

Coachandhorsestree