AN enormous tree weighing six tonnes has fallen into a Colchester resident’s conservatory, despite years of complaints that it could pose a major risk to surrounding property. 

Elizabeth French, of Maypole Green Road, was awoken to a deafening crash in the early hours of Saturday morning when a 30ft beech tree, located in the neighbouring property on St Michael’s Road, fell into her conservatory. 

Builders spent much of Tuesday cutting off branches from the fallen tree and operating a heavy-duty Liebherr crane in preparation for removing the tree trunk. 

But Ms French, 48, along with other neighbours, had risen concerns about the precariousness of the surrounding trees as far back as 2014. 

A string of emails had been sent by residents to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which is responsible for maintaining the land it rents from the landowners, Annington Homes. 

Residents had been told that the tree – which was over 80 years old and sprawling over a number of properties – would be inspected, only for the tree to be left untended. 

Recollecting the felling of the tree in the middle of the night, Ms French said: “My husband got up in the middle of the night and there was a massive great bang. 

Gazette: Tree crashes on to conservatory in Maypole Green Road, Colchester

“The neighbours along here heard it, although because it happened at 1am in the morning some thought they’d just imagined or dreamed it. 

“I went out into the garden later that morning and just saw this mass of tree lying on top of the conservatory.” 

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But Ms French had also tried to raise concerns to the landowners Annington Homes, the owners of the surrounding land, to warn them about the sprawling beech tree that had gone unmaintained. 

Gazette: Tree crashes on to conservatory in Maypole Green Road, Colchester

“I have an email where I wrote to Annington saying there was a tree very close to the property and asking them to come and have a look at it. 

“They sent someone round who said it wasn’t close enough [to any properties], it wasn’t overhanging the conservatory, so you’re fine. And that was that.” 

But although Annington owns the land containing the ailing trees, the responsibility for their maintenance lies with the DIO, to whom the land is leased by Annington. 

“People have done shedloads of work trying to get whoever is responsible to come and maintain the trees,” Ms French said. 

“You can’t not maintain them – especially when they’re as close as they are to surrounding properties.” 

Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, voiced their unease at numerous other trees of the same age, size, and species which had also been left to sprawl untended. 

They said: “We have neighbours with kids who aren’t allowed to play in the garden in case any of the trees overhanging these houses split in the same way this one has done. 

“You think “what has to happen before people take the maintenance of these trees seriously?” Does it have to happen again? Does it have to kill someone?” 

Responding to a request for comment by the Gazette, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 

“We are aware of the unfortunate collapse of a tree from a service family accommodation home which caused damage to a neighbouring conservatory. We urgently removed the tree and are investigating the causes. 

“We have given the homeowner details of how to claim compensation and are reviewing our records of previous tree surveys and correspondence as part of our investigation.”

And Annington Homes also released a statement, confirming that maintenance of the land was not their responsibility and did indeed lie with the DIO.

“Whilst this is an awful situation, the DIO is responsible for the maintenance works on the estate and surrounding areas.

“We have no responsibility or right to carry out any maintenance works.”