Primary school to chop down 150-year-old chestnut tree because of 'health and safety concerns' over conkers and slippery leaves

A primary school in Surrey has won the right to fell a 150-year-old chestnut tree over fears it’s conkers and leaves are proving a danger to children.

The 18-metre tree will be chopped down after the head of the St John’s Primary School in Knaphill lobbied the council and told them that it was causing health and safety concerns.

Headteacher Sarah May complained fallen leaves were ‘very slippery’ and had previously injured a member of staff, while teachers spent an hour every day sweeping away chestnuts during the autumn term.

She also complained that bird droppings were causing health and safety concerns too – as well as the dangers of kids getting hit with the prickly nuts.

A Tree Preservation Order was put in place for the sweet chestnut tree in October last year when the school first asked for permission for it to be felled.

But a recent council committee have now removed the order and approved the plans after Ms May claimed the tree posed a serious health and safety issue.

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Ms May told the committee the positive impact of the tree had been outweighed by the ‘negative impact it has on the learning experiences of the children’ as the chestnuts and leaves were slippery.

She also claims teachers have to clean a mass of bird droppings from play equipment before every playtime after several complaints from disgruntled parents.

Ms May said: ‘Over the last five years three different nursery teachers have expressed serious concerns over the impact the tree has on the provision we can offer the children.

‘There are also significant health and safety concerns – these concerns result in a significant amount of time in the school year where outside play is diminished/impeded as a result of the sweet chestnut tree.’

But a tree officer for Woking Borough Council said that even if the tree was felled, leaves from nearby trees would still land on the playground and become slippery.

The officer said: ‘The concerns surrounding the falling chestnuts and falling leaves is a seasonal issue that can be resolved by establishing an appropriate cleaning regime.

‘Although the removal of the tree in question would reduce the amount of leaf fall in the area, the proximity of adjacent trees would mean that the problem would not be eradicated as such this is not justification for the removal of this tree.’

Councillor Louise Morales, who opposed the felling, added: ‘We are bringing up children to live in a plastic world and I am absolutely devastated that future generations will lose this absolutely magnificent tree.’

The school and the Health and Safety Executive have been approached for a comment.