THE following letter has also been sent to Mel Stride, MP for Central Devon and the planning department of Mid Devon District Council:

I WAS saddened to read in the Crediton Courier (September 13) that the very splendid Lucombe oak in Newcombes Meadow is condemned to be felled.

Lucombe oaks are specially associated with Devon where they were first propagated by William Lucombe in Exeter during the late 18th century.

Some of his original clones survive at Bicton, Exeter and Killerton.

Not surprisingly the oak at Newcombes is within the Crediton Conservation Area and is therefore protected from felling unless it can be proved dangerous.

Lucombe oaks may suffer from some hollowing of their trunks but, unless that is recent or sudden, it should not pose a risk.

Tree surgeons, and others, are naturally unwilling to expose themselves to recrimination by miscalculating the possibility of a tree’s sudden collapse and therefore veer on the side of caution.

However, if in doubt, one option is to rope off the tree (as is done in Exeter Cathedral Close) and allow a newly planted tree to grow while monitoring its predecessor.

Hugh Meller

By email