Higham Ferrers tree campaigners 'gutted' as Three Oak to be given the chop

Campaigners who highlighted the plight of an ancient oak scheduled for removal to make way for the A45 Chowns Mill junction have said they are gutted to learn that the tree will be felled later this month.

Justina Bryan started an online petition to save the 400-year-old tree known locally as the 'Three Oak' and was successful in getting highways bosses to commission a survey of the tree's roots to see if it could be spared.

But tests show that the wayside landmark, that has stood next to the old A6 in Station Road, Higham Ferrers for generations, will have to be removed because carriageway improvement excavations will undermine its roots making it unstable.

Mrs Bryan said: "I'm gutted but at least I know that I did everything I could to save it. I'm not going to tie myself to the tree. We tried but we failed.

"I couldn't have lived with myself if I hadn't tried."

The Save Our Oak campaign started in January led to 6,735 signatures being collected in an online petition and Highway England bosses pledging to see if the tree could be preserved.

A spokesman for Highway England said: "Experts have now completed hi-tech investigation works on an oak tree at the centre of a much-needed road improvement scheme to see whether it can safely be retained.

"A number of options have been explored but specialists have concluded that the tree could be a danger if not removed as part of the £24 million upgrade of the busy A45/A6 Chowns Mill junction in Northamptonshire.

"The investigation works included ground penetrating radar to help map the roots of the tree - known locally as the Three Oaks - which is on the A5028 [formerly the A6] at Higham Ferrers.

"Discussions are now under way to ensure the tree can still be enjoyed by the community with the wood being used as carved park furniture/equipment or put to similar good use."

Highways England has said it is looking to plant up to 1,500 trees and to create wildflower meadow areas as part of the scheme.

Highways England Project Manager Dean Holloway said: "We understand how local people feel about the Three Oaks and have explored many different options looking for ways to safely retain it whilst enabling the vital improvements at this bottleneck junction to go ahead.

“Unfortunately, after extensive investigations, the experts found that the road works would leave the tree unstable and in danger of falling down. Safety has to be the priority for Highways England so it is with heavy hearts we have decided to remove the Three Oaks.

“Highways England only cuts back or fells trees when it is absolutely necessary to keep people safe or to allow us to improve journeys. Sadly that is the situation here.”

The Chowns Mill junction is being redesigned as a half hamburger layout with a new link road connecting the A6 South and A5028 with the existing roundabout.

All approaches will be widened to provide extra lanes and capacity to help the flow of traffic and ease congestion.

The new road layout will fall within 1.5m of the oak tree and the road will be lowered, to a construction depth of 2m from the existing ground level.

The Highway England spokesman added: "As well as the ground penetrating radar - essentially an x-ray of the existing ground – the investigations involved digging trial holes to examine root spread and see whether the road construction would damage the tree.

"Arboricultural specialists concluded that all of the roots encountered would need to be removed which would impact on the tree’s overall health, potentially leading to tree mortality. Meanwhile severing major roots would make it less stable and a safety hazard.

"The project team also explored changing the road design to protect the tree but due to the root spread, and the size and quantity of roots, it was apparent that the tree would still be destabilised and put public safety at risk."

An email to Mrs Bryan confirmed that the tree would be felled early next week (starting May 4).

She added: "Lots of good things have come out of this campaign. I'm now keeping an eye on the street trees in Higham and Irthlingborough.

"When we had our meeting under the tree a young lad found a sprouting acorn and handed it to me. Another member of the group has also found one so I am hoping that there will be at least one Three Oaks baby that we can plant."

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