Gloucester: Trees to be felled after damage to school wall

The trees have been damaging a wall next to a school

Two trees which have damaged a school wall are to be felled despite objections from a local councillor.

The three leylandii cypress trees next to Gloucester's King's School were set to be felled in 2022.

One tree was felled last year but Liberal Democrat councillor Rebecca Trimnell intervened to stop contractors cutting the other two.

Council leader Richard Cook said the trees needed to be felled as it had made a school wall unsafe.

In a council meeting, he read out a letter from the school and explained how the trees' extensive roots had damaged the historic wall with one section falling entirely.

Rebecca Trimnell intervened last year to stop them cutting two trees down

"Luckily it was overnight and no cars or pedestrians were nearby," Mr Cook said.

"The two trees are non-native and have grown to the point they are no longer safe."

Ms Trimnell called on the council to find a compromise with King's School but the authority heard that any boundary wall would not be insurable without the trees being removed.

Councillor Trimnell told the meeting at North Warehouse on 16 November that one of the trees is dead and the remaining tree was at risk of imminent felling.

The council voted for them to be felled.