South Kesteven District Council approves removal of two trees at King’s School in Grantham after teenager hit by car

A school’s bid to remove a tree to improve safety following a serious accident has been approved - but a second tree is also now in the firing line.

South Kesteven District Council has approved the removal of a maple and a sycamore tree from King’s School, Grantham, to improve site access.

The application followed an accident in which a teenage boy being knocked down outside the school in March.

After meetings with Lincolnshire County Council and SKDC, the school will move pedestrian gates to the opposite side of the bus shelter.

The aim is to allow buses to pull in further down the road and move away from the nearby pedestrian crossing.

As part of this, the application requested the removal of the sycamore tree due to issues caused by its surface roots.

Highways engineers recommended the plans, which involve digging through the maple tree's roots.

In making their decision, South Kesteven District Council’s tree officer, Richard Jones, firstly clarified that the tree subject to the application was actually a maple rather than a sycamore.

However, they say removing the tree would leave a nearby sycamore tree “unbalanced and exposed” and recommend its removal as well.

“The roots around it are very shallow. It would not be practical to ramp over them. Cutting the roots to install the new access will destabilise the tree,” said Mr Jones.

“The maple is growing in close proximity to a sycamore. They are a cohesive natural feature in the landscape,” the report stated.

However, Mr Jones acknowledged: “Having considered all the factors, it is the view of the tree officer that the need to install a new access way and, in doing so, remove the maple outweighs any potential loss of amenity.

“The removal of the maple tree will leave the nearby sycamore unbalanced and exposed. It is the recommendation of the tree officer that the sycamore tree be removed too.”

Officers recommended planting a “standard-sized small-leaved lime or honey locust” nearby to replace the trees for amenity and landscape consistency.

“They are medium to large maturing trees with the potential to make a long-term contribution to the amenity of the area. They have habitat value,” said the report.

When the application was first submitted, many readers expressed a range of opinions about the school's decision to remove a tree for safety reasons.

Some commenters suggested alternative measures, like a countdown timer for the crossing or better bus pull-ins, arguing these might be more effective.

Others doubted the tree removal would prevent accidents, citing frequent disregard of the crossing, while some called for better road safety education and improved drop-off practices.

Some supported the removal for practical reasons, while others saw it as an overreaction, advocating for improved road safety and pedestrian behaviour instead.

What do you think? Share your views in the comments.