Headteacher to appeal lime tree protection order decision

The headteacher of St Luke's Primary School in Cookham Road, Maidenhead, has raised concerns that the Royal Borough council is putting tree protection before the safety of children.

Amanda Hough issued an objection to the council over a tree preservation order (TPO) placed on a row of lime trees in the grounds of the school. She claims dead and falling branches are putting pupils at risk after a child was cut in the face last year.

But at a meeting of the Royal Borough's Maidenhead development control on Wednesday, the committee elected to keep the TPO in place, which prevent the trees from being cut down or heavily trimmed.

Mrs Hough intends to appeal the decision and said that although she appreciated the history of the trees, she didn't feel that they belong in a school and that if they remain it could end in a fatality.

Speaking after the meeting, Mrs Hough said: "Last year we had a branch fall down and cut a child in the face. There seems to be a preference to the trees rather than the children."

Maidenhead development control chairman Cllr Derek Wilson (Con, Oldfield) said deciding whether trees should be removed on the basis they may or may not shed branches was a difficult question.

He added: "In this case, councillors felt it was too much to ask for those trees to be removed."