Couple who want protected 90ft Sycamores chopped down slam council

Couple who want three protected 90ft Sycamores chopped down slam council for treating them with ‘contempt’ after claiming trees block out light to their £400k home and overhanging branches pose risk to grandchildren playing in their garden

• Brian Tempest and Susan Dickerson say the trees are danger to grandchildren
• Couple also say they are unable to insure £400,000 property against damage

A furious couple are stuck in a decade-long row with their local council over three 90ft trees overhanging their home which they claim are a danger to their grandchildren.

Brian Tempest, 73 and Susan Dickerson, 60, have accused Bradford Council chiefs of ‘caring more about trees than humans’ after refusing to fell the huge sycamores – despite the couple offering £5,000 to chop them down.

The couple say they are also unable to insure their £400,000 property against damage from the trees, meaning they are at risk of being left homeless if one was to fall and hit their home. 

Two of the ‘ginormous’ broad-leaved maples sit on public land just 25cm from their boundary line and have branches that extend to within three feet of their home. 

But the council has refused to cut the sycamores down due to a Tree Preservation Order in place to protect them.

Brian Tempest, 73 and Susan Dickerson, 60, have accused Bradford Council chiefs of ‘caring more about trees than humans’

The base of the huge sycamore trees pictured just inches from the couple’s garden wall in Bradford, West Yorkshire

Brian Tempest pictured standing outside his house with the large trees seen in the background

And when Susan raised concerns that bits of the trees could fall and injure her six grandchildren, she claims council staff told her: ‘Just don’t let them play in the garden’.

Retired publishing industry worker Brian said: ‘We’re just ordinary working-class people who earned some decent money over the years and always paid our council tax, and yet we’re just treated like s**t.

‘They do treat us with contempt, and I’m really disgusted, to be honest with you, with the things they’ve said… We could be made homeless if a tree goes down.

‘I’m afraid over these last few years, it’s just got worse and worse with people’s aggression. The care and attention have just gone out the window.’

Holistic therapist and beautician Susan added: ‘We are at our wit’s end, and we’ve even considered moving.

‘Without a shadow of a doubt, I think the council care more about trees than humans.’

The couple live in a 60-year-old four-bedroom home in Bradford, West Yorkshire, which Susan originally bought in 1995.

Around 11 years ago, they began writing to their local council as the trees’ roots began loosening rocks in their garden wall and later, the slabs in their patio.

Council workers pictured on scaffolding repairing a wall in the couple’s garden that was damaged by the trees a year ago

Falling branches from the trees have caused significant damage to the stones in the couple’s garden

The couple say they are also unable to insure their £400,000 property against damage from the trees

The three sycamores overhanging Susan and Brian’s garden are all covered by a Tree Preservation Order

The trees in the summer when they are in full bloom tower over the garden, which the couple says makes their garden appear gloomy

The couple live in a 60-year-old four-bedroom home in Bradford, West Yorkshire, which Susan originally bought in 1995

Susan says the massive deciduous trees have left them constantly stressed after they found out their home insurance would not cover damage caused by falling branches

The three sycamores overhanging Susan and Brian’s garden are all covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO), meaning they can’t be felled without written consent.

But the couple claim they’ve received limited responses from authorities, even after sending over 100 letters and emails to officials in local government.

Susan said: “’o be honest, we didn’t get any reaction. We’ve even sent letters and emails to the chief executive of Bradford Council.

‘We actually offered to pay to have the trees removed and more trees planted, which are appropriate for the area. They wouldn’t even listen to that.

‘Last year, they agreed the wall was collapsing [due to the trees] and put up scaffolding for a couple of months. They lowered the wall by five or six inches and secured the top stones with cement.

‘But all they’ve said is if it happens again, if the wall collapses – which it probably will – they will keep coming along to repair it.”

She added: ‘We had a patio built, and it’s Indian stones – and they’re now loose. When you step on those they kick up, so we’ve got to keep maintaining all of that.’

The couple claim they’ve received limited responses from authorities, even after sending over 100 letters and emails to officials in local government

The furious couple have said they feel feel like they have been treated ‘like s**t’ by council bosses

The roof pictured covered in tree debris, costs Brian and Susan money to remove 

Susan says the massive deciduous trees have left them constantly stressed after they found out their home insurance would not cover damage caused by falling branches.

Their huge canopies have left the garden feeling gloomy, even during the summer months, and they fear sitting underneath them.

She continued: ‘Our insurers actually say, “You are not covered for any debris, damage from the trees”, which we get lots of annually – it’s a constant battle.

‘Sycamores shed these windmill things, and in the springtime, they’re sticky. They stick to the windows and on our feet. They’re just a mess.

‘Brian was sunbathing last year, and he got bird poo on his face and on his chest. Because the trees overhang our garden, we just can’t get away from them.

‘We’ve even had one of the council employees tell us when we were concerned about the grandchildren playing in the garden, “Well, I suggest you just don’t let them play in the garden.”‘

The couple have considered moving house over the row, but decided against the idea after neighbours who also have protected sycamores by their home said the trees put off prospective buyers.

Brian said: ‘If we did put the property up for sale, we know that other people have said they won’t even go and view neighbouring properties for the cost of those trees.’

Susan said she understood why other people were sensitive to chopping down maples, but added the council rejected their proposals to replace them with saplings.

Brian received a quote from a local tree surgeon of between £4,000 to 5,000 to chop the trees down

Their huge canopies have left the garden feeling gloomy, even during the summer months, and they fear sitting underneath them

She added: ‘There are people who do love trees who we can appreciate will probably say ‘We need them’.

‘I agree, but these are the wrong types of trees. Let’s have some in a better position.’

Brian received a quote from a local tree surgeon of between £4,000 to 5,000 to chop the trees down.

The couple say they have offered to cover the fee and have suggested replacement trees.

A spokesperson from Bradford Council told a local paper that despite having received complaints from the couple for ‘several years’, the trees’ TPO took precedence.

A statement added: ‘We have received complaints from the residents about a tree to the rear of the property over several years.

‘However, the tree is considered to be an important amenity tree in the area and is subject to a TPO. Applications to lift the TPO have been made and turned down on review by an independent third party.

‘The tree is regularly inspected and actions have been taken to remove potentially hazardous overhanging branches.

‘We will continue to inspect the tree and have asked the resident to inform us of any change in its condition or other concerns.’

Bradford Council have been contacted for further comment.

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