A local council has shared an update on its plans to cut down a 300-year-old heritage tree in a Bucks town.

A 300-year-old London Plane Tree near Pound Lane in Marlow caught fire on August 17, prompting Buckinghamshire Council to release an initial statement informing residents of the indefinite closure of Pound Lane car park and the adjoining road.

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, with further insights from the Parks and Green Spaces and Arboriculture teams stressing the council’s consideration of the tree’s “cultural, historical and ecological value”.

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While a date for the felling works has yet to be announced, the council has now issued an update on the progress of the plans, which will precede the planting of a replacement tree at the same site.

A spokesperson said: “Due to the size of the tree, removal will be a significant operation, which requires power lines to be switched off.

“We are working with SSE to assess what is required before we can progress any further and are expecting a site visit from them before the end of the month.

“We will confirm future details on the works when we have more information.”