A beech tree on Spa Road, which is more than 100 years old, has been saved from being cut down after a local councillor successfully lobbied to have a Tree Protection Order (TPO) issued. The TPO will prevent the tree from being felled and a neighbouring oak tree from being cut back.
An application was issued to fell the beech tree due to the damage it was causing to a nearby wall. A second part of the application was submitted to reduce the crown of a neighbouring oak tree by 2 metres to allow more light into an adjacent house.
However, following some residents’ objections to the beech tree being cut down, Councillor Jon Hubbard, who is a councillor for Melksham South Ward and also a Wiltshire Councillor, lobbied for the Tree Preservation Order to be raised, which protects trees from ‘deliberate damage or destruction.’
Cllr Hubbard said, “A TPO [offers] formal protection against felling, ensuring that this emblem of our community is preserved not only for us but for future generations. It is our responsibility to safeguard the natural legacy we have been entrusted with, and to act as stewards of the environment.”
Residents commented on Wiltshire Council’s planning portal and Cllr Hubbard also raised concerns that the application did not address the ‘excellent health’ of the trees.
“These are two spectacular specimens of perfectly healthy trees,” said Cllr Hubbard. “It would just be criminal for us to lose the trees or for anything to happen to them.”
The TPO follows a recent Melksham Town Council initiative to plant new trees at various sites across the town.
“Melksham values its natural heritage and is committed to preserving it,” says Cllr Hubbard. “We will not stand idly by while a vibrant part of our community’s landscape is needlessly destroyed.”
