Marlow residents have reacted positively to news that a local council has reversed its decision to fell a 300-year-old tree which ‘accidentally’ caught fire over the summer.

In a statement issued yesterday (October 10), Buckinghamshire Council announced that plans to chop down a London Plane Tree near Pound Lane in Marlow would no longer go ahead after a new survey found that the damage it had retained from catching fire back in August was "less severe than first thought".

A small cordon will remain around the base of the tree to prevent access to the hollow in the main stem, which a specialist consultant has recommended should be filled with non-combustible material to limit future fire risk.

Nick Rowcliffe, a member of Releaf Marlow, a community project aiming to increase the number of trees in and around the town, said the council’s decision not to fell the 300-year-old tree was ‘fantastic’ news.

He said: “This plane is one of Marlow’s grandest trees and a gift from the town’s deep past. It’s fantastic news that it can continue to grace our skyline, potentially for many decades to come.”

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Longtime Marlow resident Michael New OBE, who had previously expressed concerns that the felling of the tree near Pound Lane spelt bad news for other urban trees that might also come under threat, said he had been ‘delighted’ to learn that the tree was no longer slated for felling.

Mr New, who linked the “heritage tree” to other “magnificent specimens” that had previously been felled in St Peter Street, added that he thought the final survey which decided the fate of the 300-year-old tree might have been sought by the council as a result of backlash from residents online.

“I’m delighted that this heritage tree is no longer doomed. I hope that residents’ comments on Facebook and elsewhere helped to persuade Buckinghamshire Council to seek advice from an independent expert.”

Steven Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport at Buckinghamshire Council, thanked residents for their “patience and understanding” following the announcement yesterday, adding that works would go ahead to remove deadwood from the specimen, an operation that would necessitate surrounding power lines to be temporarily switched off but would not require road or car park closure.

He added: “We know the decision to save this much-loved tree will be welcomed by the whole community.”