A HEALTHY tree on the highway in a Somerset town is to be felled as it is causing subsidence at a private home.

Somerset Council says its highways team needs to urgently remove the beech tree because its roots are causing the collapse of the foundations.

The home owner filed a report to the council after discovering the problem in Beechwood Avenue, Frome.

A council spokesperson said some concerns about the removal have been raised locally and considered carefully, but added that the council has concluded action is needed to protect somebody’s home.

They added: “The last thing we want to be doing is removing a mature tree.

"We know that people in the community really value it, but the situation is critical, and this is extremely distressing for the homeowner.”

Somerset Council’s highway arboriculture team is responsible for the management and health of trees growing on highways land across the county.

That includes protecting property and ensuring the risk posed by trees to the public and road users is kept to a low and tolerable level.

Contractors working for the Somerset Council highways will remove the tree at the earliest possible opportunity.

It will be taken from the site and left at a suitable spot where it can provide a wildlife habitat and remain part of the ecosystem.