Contractors defend felling landmark yew tree

Road contractors who removed a landmark yew tree, angering locals, have defended the decision.

The tree on the B4348 in the Golden Valley village of Dorstone was removed on 17 March.

Residents said they believed it was healthy and resident Jack Sloper parked his car under the tree earlier in the day in an attempt to save it, but the contractor returned later and felled it.

Herefordshire Council's public realm contractor Balfour Beatty Living Places said it was removed on safety grounds after inspections confirmed the embankment had become unstable and was in close proximity to overhead services.

June Sloper acknowledged that the tree roots were exposed on the bank by the junction, "but they have been for many years".

Nearby resident John Morgan, who videoed the removal of the tree, said: "It feels like a rushed job. The tree was in no danger of tipping over."

Arboricultural consultant and chairman of Herefordshire Tree Forum Jerry Ross said that from online images, the tree appeared to be about 150 years old, while the erosion of the bank "looked pretty much the same in 2009 as it did in 2024".

"It appears a perfectly acceptable, inoffensive specimen has been felled, with the very roots that formerly served to hold up the bank wrenched out of the ground, leaving it damaged and no doubt requiring work to stabilise it," he said.

"And the not inconsiderable costs will no doubt be borne by the taxpayer."

Balfour Beatty Living Places said: "We understand that the removal of the tree in Dorstone has raised concerns locally.

"The decision to remove it was made on safety grounds after inspections confirmed the embankment had become unstable due to vehicle erosion and recent adverse weather."

Also standing close to overhead services, "the tree posed an immediate risk to road users and nearby homes", they said.

The tree was removed in controlled sections with the remaining stump taken out by an excavator.

Temporary works to stabilise the bank have now been completed, with a permanent stabilisation scheme to follow once design and planning can be undertaken, they added.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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