We hate the huge tree outside our house but council won’t let us trim it – we’re terrified it’s going to crush our kids
A MUM is terrified a huge tree outside her home will collapse and crush her kids - but she claims the council won't let her trim it back.
Katarzyna Wodynska has been forced to move her children into a different room on the other side of the house just in case.
The mum-of-two has rented her Bristol home for six years with the hopes of buying it.
However, she has since said she would have never have "invested money" if she knew the tree would cause such issues.
Recent stormy weather has left Katarzyna "scared to be home" and claims her mental health is declining.
"If it's windy my children say, 'Mummy, do you think the tree is going to fall down today?'," she told .
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"Maybe they recognise my anxiety, I'm not sure. I tell them, 'No, no it's not' but I can tell they're worried."
The mum said the tree is double the height of her home and has even offered to pay to have it cut.
Katarzyna's worries come after another big tree fell on the street back in August 2020.
Battling Bristol City Council, Katarzyna was told the tree is under a protection order.
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However, she claims the preservation order was put on the tree after she submitted a planning application to have it cut down.
"I applied for removal and the council said 'okay' and then one of the neighbours objected," she added.
A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “Trees throughout our city’s neighbourhoods, such as this particular beech tree, provide significant environmental and aesthetic benefits to their local area.
"Some are protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) to prevent their loss or disfigurement.
“We responded to concerns raised by the tenant about the tree and related damage to their home and completed a structural assessment of the property.
"Repairs were carried out to brick work, however no further issues have been identified with the structure of the property and the condition of the tree after further detailed inspections were completed above and beyond our responsibilities as the landlord.”
The council also said the tree is on land attached to a council tenanted property and the maintenance of it is the tenant's responsibility.
And after the council's inspection of the tree, there were no concerns to prompt removal action.
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Seeking help from her local MP, Katarzyna was told the order means the tree "cannot currently be removed".
Claiming to have spent "thousands" on her home over the years, Katarzyna said: "If I had known that this house and this tree were going to make so much trouble, I would never have invested money."
