Petition: Save the Clatterbury Oak and give ancient trees full legal protection

A petition has been launched in a bid to save an ancient Essex tree under threat of felling.
Looking to build an access road as part of their proposals to put up five new houses, developers have applied for planning permission to remove the Clatterbury Oak, which campaigners in the village of Clavering believe could be a boundary tree.
Jilly McNaughton, who set up the change.org petition, says on the page: “The people of Clavering face losing a historic, beloved and irreplaceable ancient tree to development.
“The tree is an ancient oak pollard which marks the boundary of the parish and can be seen on Victorian maps.
“Ancient trees are treasuries of biodiversity, sites of special scientific interest, heritage assets, natural monuments and cultural and spiritual resources and as such should be given automatic protection under the law.
“We call on the government to grant ancient trees the same legal protection as important hedgerows and prohibit the cutting down, uprooting, topping, lopping, wilful destruction or damage of ‘important trees’ (which meet certain criteria) without Local Planning Authority consent.
“We also call on Uttlesford District Council to reject [the planning application] in which a developer seeks to remove the irreplaceable Clatterbury Oak tree, Clavering.”

• You can make representations to Uttlesford District Council, using the reference UTT/23/3135/FUL. Comments can be made online or by emailing planning@uttlesford.gov.uk, giving the reference and your name and address.
• To sign the petition, click here