Wivenhoe Town Council would like to update the community on the ongoing work around the issue of the Oak Tree in the Council’s car park.
From the outset we have made it clear that from the Council’s point of view the situation has been and remains far from clear cut, and that the Council is looking for the most viable solution.
We will ensure that the decision we ultimately make is in the best interests of the community, balanced against our responsibilities to the electorate, which includes the protection of the Council’s assets and finances.
Investigations are ongoing with expert and legal advice having been sought, and that advice process continues. It remains the position of the insurer of the affected properties that the oak tree is the most likely cause of the subsidence affecting those properties, and that it needs to be removed before remedial work can be undertaken.
They continue to reserve the right to take legal action against the Council for significant damages if the Council do not do so. Should proceedings be brought the Council would then be facing a significant financial challenge.
As you would expect, given the scale of the potential liabilities, the Council is taking full legal and expert advice. While the process has necessarily been lengthy, we believe the coming months will see that process concluded.