Shropshire Star

Ludlow's twin oaks await decision on chop

No final decision has been made over the fate of two trees at a beauty spot on the edge of a county town, Shropshire Wildlife Trust has said.

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A debate over two oak trees on Whitcliffe Common, which overlooks Ludlow, is still ongoing, the trust's chief executive Colin Preston has said – though the issue has caught the public imagination and now gone well beyond the usual ecological considerations normally involved in the removal of trees.

His comment has come as eminent zoologist and TV presenter Dr George McGavin has written to Shropshire Wildlife Trust objecting to cutting down of even one tree at Whitcliffe Common.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust proposed to remove both trees, with the support of local group the Friends of Whitcliffe Common, about six months ago. But Ludlow Town Council and dozens of residents objected.

Shropshire Wildlife trustees had decided at a meeting in December to go with a compromise of cutting down one tree and leaving the other but since there have been further objections, including from Ludlow resident Professor Russell Cheng, who in turn contacted Oxford entomologist and TV presenter Dr McGavin, the maker of BBC4 documentary Oak Tree: Nature's Greatest Survivor.

In a letter to the trust Dr McGavin said: "I am truly dismayed to learn that the Shropshire Wildlife Trust is thinking of felling a healthy oak tree simply on the grounds that someone's view of manmade structures might be impeded.

"There can be no justification for this act of environmental vandalism, so please do not send me one."

Meanwhile Ludlow resident Charlotte Upton has started a fresh petition against cutting down either tree at Whitcliffe at petitions24.com/save_ludlow_oak_tree.

Mr Preston said discussions over the trees were "still ongoing".

Robin Mager, planning officer at the trust, said: "From our point of view it could go either way.

"It's beyond the normal ecological considerations I'm usually involved with now.

"No one is firing up a chainsaw at the current time."

Shropshire Council tree officers previously said they did not object to the felling.

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