Somerset Council's Highways team urgently needs to remove a tree which is causing subsidence to the foundations of a private home.  

The homeowner in Beechwood Avenue discovered the problem caused by the beech tree's roots and reported it to the Council.  

Some concerns about the removal have been raised locally and considered carefully. However, the Council has concluded that action is needed to protect somebody's home.  

A Somerset Council spokesperson said: "The last thing we want to be doing is removing a mature tree, we know that people in the community really value it, but the situation is critical, and this is extremely distressing for the homeowner."  

Somerset Council's Highway arboriculture team is responsible for the management and health of trees growing on highways land across the county. This includes, protecting property and ensuring the risk posed by trees to the public and road users is kept to a low and tolerable level. 

Contractors working for the Somerset Council Highways will remove the tree at the earliest possible opportunity. It will be taken from the site and left at a suitable spot where it can provide a wildlife habitat and remain part of the ecosystem.  

The Council has a tree strategy that, among other ambitious aims, will be seeking to increase the county's tree cover by 240 hectares a year for the next ten years.