'Happy outcome' as 120-year-old tree gets reprieve

The Old King George oak tree overlooks a park in the centre of Wivenhoe

Campaigners are celebrating after a 120-year-old oak tree - which was due to be chopped down - earned a six-week reprieve.

The tree in Wivenhoe, near Colchester, was condemned by insurer Aviva after reports showed it was causing subsidence to nearby homes.

Wivenhoe Town Council said in a statement that the tree would not be felled before 31 March, and that campaigners could obtain their own independent report.

Local resident Kat Scott, who set up a petition to save the tree, told the BBC it was "a happy outcome".

Agreement

The oak tree stands in the corner of a car park near Wivenhoe town centre, close to residential properties.

Aviva said that the tree - along with a nearby horse chestnut - was due to be cut down by the end of January, after residents living nearby complained about damage to their homes.

The insurer told the town council to remove the tree or face a bill of hundreds of thousands of pounds, but protesters surrounded the tree, causing the car park to close and delaying the process until the deadline had passed.

Kat Scott said the news was "a cause for celebration" but admitted the timeframe was limited

Wivenhoe Town Council said it had worked "tirelessly to agree terms with the protesters that will persuade them to clear the car park so it can be reopened for community use".

It said it had been careful to "not do or agree to anything that might prejudice the council's indemnity cover", which protects the authority against any insurance claims for damaged homes.

Fencing would be removed and "if possible", qualified tree surgeons would carry out crown reduction work to both trees.

'Limited timeframe'

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Scott said it was "a real cause for celebration".

"Now we have an opportunity to scrutinise the situation with expert input that is more transparent," she said.

Ms Scott said the independent report would be paid for by crowdfunding, although they had been approached by several experts who had offered their services "pro bono".

The experts would be assessing several things such as the tree's biodiversity role, its monetary equivalent value, and its role in ground stability.

"Obviously it's still quite a limited timeframe - six weeks isn't that long," Ms Scott said.

"We can't undertake, for instance, a year's worth of ground monitoring, but we'll be doing what we can."

"It's more time than I could have hoped for at the start of all of this. We found a way forward as a community," she added.

Ms Scott confirmed that protesters would leave the car park, saying many had left already.

A spokesperson for Aviva said it was "a complex and sensitive matter which we are keen to resolve in the best way for all of the parties involved".

"Whilst we are unable to share specific details due to policy and customer confidentiality, we are working hard to provide a solution," they added.