A local council said the decision to cut down a 300-year-old heritage tree in a Buckinghamshire town was 'very difficult' and involved assessments of public safety and ecological value.

A 300-year-old London Plane Tree near Pound Lane car park in Marlow caught fire on the evening of Thursday, August 17, prompting Buckinghamshire Council to release a statement informing residents that part of the car park and adjoining road had been closed indefinitely. 

On August 29, Steven Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport said the tree would be cut down due to the risk it poses to the general public.

A spokesperson for the Parks and Green Spaces and Arboriculture teams has now revealed insight into the council's decision, stressing a consideration of the "cultural, historical and ecological value" of the London Plane Trees in and around Higginson Park in Marlow.

They said: "Visual inspections and specialist tests have been carried out over the years to assess the density of the timber and the extent of decay, and tests have been undertaken again immediately following the fire.

“These surveys have confirmed the presence of Perenniporia fraxinea (bracket fungi) which causes basal and root decay and confirmed the presence of a significant hollow extending to 3 metres from the base of the tree.”

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They said the tree's location had been an important part of the "very difficult decision" to fell the 300-year-old specimen, alongside consideration of its landscape value and cultural significance.

"The risk of this tree falling, in part or completely, will have a significant impact on users of the highway and pavements, the public car park and the adjacent property. The council, as a landowner, must manage its trees to maintain public safety."

Whilst a date for the works has yet to be announced, it is likely to be within the next fortnight and will precede the planting of a replacement tree at the same site by Buckinghamshire Council.

The felling operation will require a large crane situated in Pound Lane car park, managed in coordination with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSE) as it will require overhead power lines to be switched off for a 72-hour period. 

Amid concerns from local residents about the felling of other trees in the area, particularly the historic London Plane varieties in Higginson Park, the council has also confirmed plans to develop a tree management scheme with local stakeholders to provide long-term replacements for trees that are judged to be "major landscape features" in Marlow.