Peterborough: Felling 600-year-old Bretton oak cost council £49k

Peterborough City Council cut down the tree in Ringwood, Bretton, in June

A city council spent £49,000 felling a 600-year-old oak tree, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed.

Campaigners fought to save the tree in Ringwood, Bretton, after Peterborough City Council said it was causing "structural damage" to nearby homes.

A breakdown of the cost was obtained through an FOI request by the Peterborough Telegraph.

City councillor Nigel Simons said: "The decision to fell Bretton Oak tree was not one that we took lightly."

There was a police presence and gates were set up around the tree to prevent people from stopping the felling work

According to the costs revealed, the council spent more than £15,500 on legal and insurance fees alone.

The FOI figures also show that more than £16,300 was spent on tree surgery over the course of three days.

The tree was felled on 29 June after an 11th-hour bid by campaigners failed to stop its removal.

The 600-year-old oak tree was causing structural damage to homes nearby, the council said

Mr Simons, cabinet member for the environment, said the alternative could have cost the council "hundreds of thousands of pounds in repairs and legal fees".

"Originally it would have cost £8,000 to fell the tree and plant additional trees," he said.

"However, the total cost was much higher (£49,000) as it included legal fees and security needed on the day to manage the protest safely."

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He said 100 young oak tees would be planted later in the year to "mitigate against the environmental impact of this decision".

"We also intend to work with cross-party councillors and other representatives in the coming months to communicate and enhance the existing policy for managing tree related subsidence claims made against the council," he said.

The county court hearing cost the council more than £8,000, the figures revealed, but the authority was awarded £5,000 by the judge after he dismissed a petition to challenge felling the tree.