Storm Gerrit: Tree crashes down inches from resident's home

Broadstone resident Dave Colomb has applied twice to Poole council and BCP Council to fell a eucalyptus tree in his elderly neighbour’s garden. 

Despite permission to apply to fell the tree from his neighbour, both times the applications were refused – with the second one also being rejected in an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. 

However, the 57-year-old woke up on Thursday morning to find the 50ft tree was battered down overnight in a storm's 50mph winds – landing inches away from his house. 

He said: “On Wednesday night, we went to bed and then on Thursday morning I went downstairs to see branches and leaves right at the window and the tree had fallen down. 

“But I didn’t hear it happen.” 

Dave said the tree has been a nuisance for him since he moved into his home nearly 20 years ago.

Read more: Residents 'delighted' sycamore tree won't be felled

“When I moved here in 2005, it was already overhanging in the garden and it was eventually getting too much,” he said. 

“So I went to apply to fell it, which my neighbour was happy with, and I said in the application I would plant an alternative oak tree, a native tree to the area. 

“But I have a little bit of a gripe with the council because I feel when they made the decision I don’t think they took into consideration the species of tree it is. They looked at it as just a tree. 

“When you look online, it does say eucalyptus trees have shallow roots, so they are prone to falling over.”

Read more: Fears 'children could be killed' if wonky tree falls down

Although it landed just inches away from his house, the tree has landed across his entire garden – and crushed a washing line. 

“I did offer to pay for a tree surgeon to remove the tree and my elderly neighbour’s son came round and said it’s their tree and that they will sort it,” he added. 

His neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Echo he had no objections to the felling and let Dave take lead in the application.

Cllr Andy Hadley, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for the environment, pointed out the tree was covered by a group Tree Preservation Order. 

“It was for Mr Colomb to provide evidence of any structural conditions that would support an approval of the application to fell,” he said. 

“Mr Colomb did not do this and in fact indicated in his original application that evidence of disease or a fear that it might break or fall was not a reason for him seeking these works. 

The tree root (Image: Daily Echo)

“Following the council’s refusal of the application an appeal was made to the Planning Inspectorate. The inspectorate dismissed the appeal and said that ‘the reasons provided for felling the tree are limited and insufficient to justify the work’. 

“Trees do change over time and are always subject to the changing forces of nature. Sadly, even some perfectly healthy trees have fallen or been damaged under the conditions that we have seen over the last few days, and which are set to continue at the weekend.”