Woodman, woodman, spare that tree

Woodman, woodman, spare that tree!
Touch not a single bough!
In youth it sheltered me,
And I'll protect it now.
'Twas my forefather's hand
That placed it near his cot;
There, woodman, let it stand,
Thy ax shall harm it not.
                               George Pope Morris

A group of residents from some of the houses at the end of our road are trying to stop the felling of this chestnut tree.  It’s alleged to be causing movement in some of the nearby houses.  This is disputed - not the movement as such - but the cause.  These residents argue that an underground spring might be the culprit.  They’d like it investigated before the tree is felled.

There is some evidence for this; it’s not uncommon in winter to see water bubbling to the surface and running down the road. And I understand that a local spring provided water for the old factory site that our house now stands on.

The council has rejected a tree preservation order because “the tree does not appear to meet the nationally-set standards” .  Whatever that means.  

I’m sympathetic - I think it’s a magnificent sight - I blipped it last summer (see extra).  I’d hate to see it go.

I know that a BBC News team has been out to talk to these folks, so as I sat down to write this, I looked for more about the story on the BBC News website.  Sadly it’s been overshadowed by news of the wanton destruction of another tree.  Last night someone felled the iconic sycamore in Sycamore Gap at Hadrian’s Wall. Heart-breaking.