One-woman protest saves ancient Horsham tree from being felled

Paula Weller and her husband Steve were horrified when they saw workmen start cutting branches off the ancient oak in Worthing Road, Dial Post.

Paula asked the men what they were doing when she saw one of them in the tree with a chainsaw.

“I quickly ran round and said ‘You can’t cut that down’.”

And she stationed herself beneath the tree’s branches forcing them to stop.

Police and a Horsham District Council officer were called to the scene as tempers flared.

“One of the men was quite abusive and I just stood my ground,” said Paula.

Police eventually asked her to move, but the tree work was halted as the council officer “said he would put an immediate emergency preservation order on the tree,” said Paula.

“I’m just hoping that it will be saved.”

She added: “I was just so upset. It’s a lovely 200-year-old tree.

“I think there should be a law that says you can’t cut a tree down like that unless you have planning permission.

“We really need to protect them. Some trees have preservation orders but a lot of them haven’t.

“Developers come along and just cut them down.

“We have lost so many trees with storms, especially old oaks, over the years.”

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: “Police were called shortly after 9am on Wednesday April 13 following reports of a disturbance outside an address in Worthing Road, Dial Post, in relation to the felling of a tree on private property.

“An officer from the council attended and the issue was resolved with all parties involved being sent on their way.”

A spokesperson for Horsham District Council said: “To be protected by a Tree Protection Order (TPO), the law requires that the tree must have public amenity value and be under threat.

“There are many trees in Horsham District which have great amenity value but are not under threat of removal. They are not protected by a TPO as there is no legal basis to do so.

“Normally, the Council is aware of trees which may be at risk of harm well in advance of possible works taking place and can then consider whether the trees do require further protection. This might be as a result of a planning application, or being alerted by a Parish Council or member of the community.

“However landowners do not always communicate their intentions in advance. There is therefore legal provision for the Council to serve an Emergency TPO.

“The Council had no prior knowledge of any intention of the landowner in Dial Post. As soon as the authority was alerted to the issue officers visited the site, and immediately put in place the necessary measures to secure the legal authorisation to serve the emergency TPO.

“This work was turned around immediately and the TPO had been served by 3pm the same day.

“The Council do not support anyone putting themselves at direct risk of harm. If anyone is concerned about works to a tree they should be referred to the Council and/or the police as appropriate.”

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