Riled up residents are campaigning on behalf of a tree which is under threat of being chopped down.

Winkfield Row residents are demanding housing developer's Nicholas King Homes not to destroy a much-loved tree in Locks Ride.

It comes after 113 locals signed a petition to get a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) for the Silver Birch, which protects it from being felled.

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Despite this, an application was submitted to Bracknell Forest Council for the tree to be butchered or completely removed.

The community has even written a heartwarming letter on behalf of the tree.

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It reads: "Dear residents of Winkfield Row, I was so very grateful for all your support in getting a TPO granted to protect me from the developers at 89 Locks Ride, 113 of you signed a petition and the council listened.

"Sadly the developers have now decided that they have crammed too many houses onto the site on which I stand. Despite it being an agreed term of the approved planning application that I should be allowed to stand for many more decades they have now submitted an application for me to be felled or many of my branches removed.

"I have looked over residents in their gardens and have provided a home for lots of wildlife in the area for many decades, including lovely Goldfinches. Sadly, the hedgerow that has kept me company throughout this time was ripped out the other day by the men with chainsaws and the lovely tree that stands near me had most of its branches cut off."

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Resident Ruth Lyes has helped get the campaign off the ground.

She said: "Local residents have been campaigning to save an old Silver Birch tree from the developers chop.

"The area within Winkfield Row has already seen a hedgerow and many trees removed to make way for development. In response to the application by Nicholas King Homes a plea has been published to residents to rally once again in the defence of this tree that provides an important contribution to local wildlife habitats and has looked over the gardens of Locks Ride (Winkfield Row) for many decades."

BFC confirmed a planning application had been submitted but the 'over-riding focus' is the tree itself and its preservation in safe and sustainable condition for the future.'

Stephen Chown, Head of Parks and Countryside, said: "The silver birch tree is covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) so all future pruning must be subject to a formal application to the council. Applications to prune a TPO tree must follow arboriculture best practice and demonstrate that it is in the long term interest of the tree before consent can be given.

"The council cannot comment on any specific application outside of the normal planning processes. Any public comments that are submitted via the planning process are considered in the decision making but the over-riding focus is the tree itself and its preservation in safe and sustainable condition for the future.”