Centuries-old oaks felled to save cash – campaigner

One campaigner said the trees were 200 years old

Two "beautiful" oaks in West Sussex could be felled to save money, a campaigner has warned.

Gabi Barrett told the BBC the trees in Billingshurst are at risk of being cut down after they were found to be damaging a nearby property.

But she claimed the 200-year-old oaks have been unfairly implicated in a subsidence claim by Axa Insurance, which could be remedied by other means.

Axa said it was the insurer of a home that had been subject to "serious subsidence" over a number of years caused by the trees on Willow Drive.

"We recognise the ecological importance of trees and green spaces across the UK and know that these situations are often complex and concerning for the local community, however, we owe it to our customer to find a solution which protects their home," a spokesperson for the insurer said.

'We're guardians of the trees'

Ms Barrett said it would be an "absolute injustice" if the oaks were cut down.

"They [trees] don't have a voice," she said. "It's up to us... to stand up [and] speak out for them."

"Even a landowner isn't an owner of a tree, we're guardians.

"We're there to make sure that they can continue to be there for hundreds of years."

Billingshurst Parish Council is responsible for the oaks

Billingshurst Parish Council, which owns the trees, is set to vote on whether to cut them down on Wednesday.

It has been approached by the BBC for comment.

A petition to save the oaks has been signed by more than 3,200 people.

'We will win'

Ms Barrett said the community was "very concerned" and had come together over the fate of the trees, which she called "irreplaceable".

"If it hadn't been for local residents signing the petition, raising funds for the solicitor, coming out to the meetings and making their voices heard they would have been cut down months ago," she added.

Instead of felling, Ms Barrett suggested a root barrier could be installed at the affected property or its foundations altered.

However, she said the trees would be chopped down as it was cheaper than the alternative solutions.

Thousands of people have signed a petition against the felling

Axa told the BBC it had "continued to work with the council to find a solution which protects both our customer's home and considers the concerns of local residents who wish to see the trees preserved".

They disputed the age of the trees and said independent reports had recommended that removing them was the best solution to protect the customer's property.

Ms Barrett warned that if a decision was made to fell the trees campaigners would take out an injunction.

"We will win," she told the BBC.