End in sight for landmark tree

Rother Council has said the much loved Blue Atlas cedar tree must be felled and replaced as it is in a dangerous condition.

Cllr Jo Kirkham said: “A huge branch fell on the path leading to the museum last year and the path had to be closed until it was cleared. There have been two incidents in the past two years with branches.”

Rother Council has suggested replacing the tree with a Swedish whitebeam but members of Rye Town Council’s planning committee have said that Rye should be given a choice at to what replaces the cedar, saying they would prefer a wild service tree,

“They also wanted to know what would happen to wood from the felled cedar tree.”

Cllr Kirkham said: “Cedar wood is valuable and pieces of wood like that don’t come around too often.”

Rother Council is now attempting to source a wild service tree and has asked Rye Town Council if it wants to arrange disposal of timber from the felled cedar tree.

A tree surgeon has now examined the tree and advised that felling would release little in the way of valuable timber. Rye Council has suggested to Rother that its contractor disposes of it in the usual manner.