Troublesome tree causing misery for family in Stoke Prior

Buy photos » Kate Ward with the tree. 33012026ncb1

A BROMSGROVE woman has hit out at Worcestershire County Council and accused the authority of failing to maintain a tree twice the size her home which she claims is ruining her life.

Kate Ward of Walls Road, Stoke Prior said for the past seven years it has made her life a ‘living nightmare’, because of a host of problems, inclduding the mosquito-like insects it attracts which have bitten her on numerous occasions.

And the community cab driver who runs Mr and Mrs Taxis with her husband is pointing the finger at the council for refusing to treat the tree which sits just beyond the hedge of her front garden.

Mrs Ward said: “The council have been passing the buck for years.

“I only found out it belonged to them when I had tree surgeons out to trim the branches and the council wouldn’t give them permission.

“The inspectors said they wouldn’t cut it down because it wasn’t overhanging on the road.

“They had no problem cutting down the ones on the High Street.”

She added the problems with the tree were so bad her own grandchildren could not visit anymore.

Mrs Ward said she has had to use antibiotics to treat the bites on her arms and legs from the flies which are attracted to the tree because of the sap it produces. Her pets have also been targetted by the critters, leading to expensive vet bills.

She also claimed the small seed pods blown into her house, had wreaked havoc, littering the bottom of her window sills and getting underneath the bonnet of her taxi, spraying on customers whenever the car’s blowers were on.

She also said the slightest bit of wind caused the spindly 6ft branches to blow down on to herself and passers by.

She admitted she was so sick of the situation she has considered moving house.

A Worcestershire County Council spokesperson said an inspector had gone out to Walls Road on July 22 to assess the problem but could not identify any major concerns and had left a voice-mail for Mrs Ward to call her back.

She said: “The council doesn’t cut down healthy trees.”

The spokesperson added under county law she was within her rights to have the branches trimmed herself.

Another inspector went out to re-evaluate the situation on Tuesday (August 14) and is working on a resolution with Mrs Ward.

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