Couple ‘fear for their lives’ after being blocked from felling limb-shedding tree

A couple claim they fear for their lives after a limb fell from an 80ft beech tree at the bottom of their garden, which a council has refused them permission to cut down.

Leora and David Faulkner’s applied to fell the tree, which they claim is a “clear danger to lives” and surrounding properties.

But Winchester Council ruled that a preservation order protecting the tree, which is estimated to be 100 years old, should stay in place.

The couple were prompted to act after they woke up to an “enormous crash” last September, when the limb dropped into the garden of their £1.3 million home in the Hampshire city.

Fear of a repeat incident that could “injure or kill somebody” has left them confined to their patio, as the tree covers much of the garden, they say.

Mr Faulkner, 62, said: “We’ve got a tree that sheds limbs. It’s done it before but they have been quite small. The latest one was massive. I thought my roof had fallen in.”

He said he had been out watering the garden the night before and could have been killed if the limb had fallen at that time.

The retired pharmaceutical industry consultant made a presentation to the council’s planning committee in April, proposing he be allowed to cut it down.

At the meeting, he said: “The tree overhangs several properties. If it was to topple, it would hit my house and my neighbour’s house.

“Last year one of the limbs fell. If it had fallen 12 hours earlier, I would not have survived.”

However, the committee unanimously agreed to maintain the tree preservation order, which was served in November 2023.

The council said: “The removal of this tree will have a significant detrimental impact on the visual amenity and character of the conservation area.”

Mrs Faulkner, 66, said that six year’s earlier another limb had fallen and “landed in our neighbour’s garden”, adding: “[It] is a totally inappropriate tree for this area.

“When it’s in full bloom, we get no sunlight in our garden at all. Our grass is practically all moss because of the lack of sunlight.

The yoga teacher said the tree “was a lot smaller” when the couple bought the house 20 years ago.

“I do understand the tree was here before the residents, but the tree is now in a residential area,” Mrs Faulkner said.

“If you’re in the countryside, of course you’re not going to cut this tree down but here... when it’s clearly a danger to lives you should have the option to at least plant something else.”

Mr Faulkner said he was “very supportive of trees” but felt “stuck” as to what to do next.

“I’m not going to sit out in the garden under the tree though,” he said.