Tree commemorating Women’s Institute cut down

ANGER has been caused after housing association workers cut down a tree planted to commemorate the 75th anniversary of a Women’s Institute group.

The cockspur thorn was planted in 1995 on Tunnicliffe Road with a plaque placed at the scene to mark the milestone for Sutton WI.

But it has gone after Cheshire Peaks and Plains sent tree surgeons to chop it down because it ‘was causing access problems’.

Residents in the village refute this and say even if it was causing a problem it could have been merely trimmed.

Keith Roberts, 55, a former Sutton parish councillor and also a tree surgeon, had maintained it over the years as his mum was in the WI.

He said: “It was planted many years ago and on a couple of occasions I pruned it for them. I don’t remember it being very big.

“It’s not the type of tree that grows like an ash or an oak, it small and ornamental. I imagine it was quit important.”

Other Sutton residents have expressed their annoyance at the tree being felled, with some taking to Facebook.

Kim Cundiff said: “I’m disgusted, my family and I have walked past that beautiful tree for years.

“It’s never been a problem more of a welcome and a reminder that we live in a lovely village where you expect to find trees.”

Lesley Reynolds said: “It is dreadful how little people think of our beautiful trees. We need more tree preservation orders across the villages.”

But a spokesman for Cheshire Peaks and Plains said that the necessary ‘due diligence’ had been carried out and approval had been sought from the WI. He said: “The tree is a cockspur thorn, similar to a hawthorn but with very large spikes.

“It had been carefully maintained over the years to keep it from impacting the public footpath but had reached such a size that it was causing access problems for passers by, as well as the residents who lived in the house directly behind it.

“We’ve spoken to the president of Sutton’s WI about a future project that would see us working with them and the local community to plant new trees in the village.

“We will happily work with them to plant trees to commemorate Sutton WI’s 100th anniversary in 2020.”