Villagers protest plan to fell 200-year-old ‘Billingshurst Sisters’ oaks to settle subsidence claim

Two of three 200-year-old oak trees known locally as the "Billingshurst Sisters" may be felled after an insurance company said the trees' roots have caused cracks and subsidence in a nearby house, prompting protests from villagers who accuse the insurer of "eco-terrorism." The parish council that owns the land must decide whether to allow the work after a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) was lifted by the district council.

Horsham District Council removed the TPO protecting the trio of oaks, which stand about 90 feet tall, and the parish council is due to consider AXA's application to fell two of the trees at a meeting on Sept. 15, 2025. AXA has said it is seeking to resolve a subsidence claim brought by a homeowner whose property dates from the 1980s; the homeowner declined to comment.

Campaigners and residents said the decision has come as a shock and urged the parish council to oppose the application. More than 2,500 people have signed a petition started by Gabi Barrett, who said the oaks are "vital to the community’s ecosystem" and warned of the trees' importance for biodiversity, flood resistance, climate resilience and local wellbeing.

Local residents described a long association with the trees. David and Ruth Evans, who have lived in Billingshurst for 35 years, said they were "stunned" at the prospect the oaks could be removed. Mark Summerfield recalled sheltering under the canopy during school cricket matches and said it would be "dreadful" if the trees were cut down to make way for an extension.

Campaign groups and some villagers have criticised AXA's approach, saying alternatives to felling — including targeted root management or structural remedies to the property — may not have been fully explored. A spokesperson for AXA UK said the company recognised the ecological importance of trees and green spaces but said it must "find a solution which protects" its customer’s home.

Councillor Colette Blackburn, Horsham District Council's cabinet member for Climate Action and Nature Recovery, wrote to AXA urging a change of course and noting the trees' age. "The trees are 200 years old and, if saved, might well live for several hundred more," Blackburn wrote in a public appeal.

The dispute in Billingshurst comes amid wider scrutiny of how councils and insurers handle trees linked to property damage. A Freedom of Information request published in July found that English councils authorised the felling of about 1,000 trees that previously had TPOs between 2019 and 2024, citing concerns that councils feared liability for property repairs.

Campaigners say that pattern reflects a legal and financial pressure on local authorities that can make mature trees vulnerable, while insurers say they must manage risks to customers’ homes. The parish council, which owns the land where the oaks stand, will vote at its meeting on Sept. 15 on whether to permit the felling.

If the parish council declines, further legal and planning steps would be required before any work could proceed. If it approves, tree removal could go ahead as part of any settlement with the homeowner. The outcome will be closely watched by local residents and nature advocates, who see the oaks as part of the village’s historic landscape and as assets in local climate resilience efforts.