Petition launch on change.org

Why this petition matters

‍

The Old King George Oak tree in Wivenhoe, Essex (found in the car park by the children's play park) is a well loved local landmark. It has been long threatened with felling by the council due to pressure from insurance companies. The community of Wivenhoe has sought advice and found that there is not sufficient evidence yet to justify felling a tree that is likely over 120 years old. This tree is irreplaceable by replanting new trees elsewhere in terms of both ecological and carbon benefits. We understand through word of mouth that the council plans to fell the tree on or around the 13-15th January 2025.

‍

We ask those who love this tree and would like it to be saved to sign this petition. We hope that this petition can help to save the tree.

‍

This petition calls for:

‍

1. Wivenhoe Town Council to cancel any planned felling or works to this tree (believed to be imminent around the 13-15 January 2025 closure of car park).

‍

2. We ask the WTC to listen to the community and engage further in dialogue with us before taking further action. To understand how much the tree means to the community and listen to our voice.

‍

3. We ask WTC to work together with the community to seek further legal and expert advice before bowing to pressure from insurance companies.

‍

4. If through adequate and more robust dialogue and evaluation by experts the tree can definitively be proven to contribute to subsidence risks sufficiently to warrant some mitigations being necessary, we implore WTC to seek alternatives to felling. These could include root zone management and installing root barriers.

‍

5. WTC is a guardian of this tree, not its 'owner', and we ask WTC to uphold this responsibility in safeguarding this important natural asset for us and future generations to enjoy. This can in part be achieved through the planning system via granting the tree a Tree Preservation Order (TPO).

‍

Why do we care about this tree?

‍

The tree is important as an asset for people of Wivenhoe and wildlife alike. The tree is is a landmark and asset in the place we love to live - Wivenhoe. Oak trees are known to support more life than any other native species in the UK, thought to support over 2300 species.

‍

The King George tree is of amenity, visual value and environmental impact (these are the criteria planning is concerned with at present in the UK) enough to warrant a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) and it is a disappointment that one is not already in place. This tree deserves protection under planning policy and felling it should be resisted strongly by the council on behalf of the community through the planning system.

‍

The tree sequesters carbon and helps clean the air we breathe. The function the tree provides in reducing urban heat island effect is likely significant, particularly for the adjacent homes and play park, as well as providing other natural systems services including absorbing water. Our town becomes less climate resilient to projected future weather events including heat waves and heavy rainfalls (flash flooding) without it. It is a valuable asset that serves us as a community and a huge range of other species. We value this tree and do not want to lose it.

‍

We are in a climate and biodiversity emergency. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries. We do not want to lose valuable natural assets like this tree when alternatives to felling exist. Simply planting new trees elsewhere would never be able to replace what would be lost if this mature - possibly ancient - tree is felled - to suggest so is inaccurate. As a riverside town on a tidal river, Wivenhoe will directly feel the effects of climate change more than many other British communities and keeping carbon absorbing assets such as this tree healthy and thriving is in all our interests alongside wider decarbonisation efforts.

‍

Wivenhoe Town Council claim to care about biodiversity and ensuring a sustainable future for our community. We ask them to act with integrity, transparency and courage accordingly. All of this is so that future generations - our children and grandchildren and those to come - may enjoy the shade of this tree in their lifetimes, and for us all to enjoy the beauty it offers and the wildlife it supports