A COPPER beech tree – dubbed one of the tallest trees in the Forest – is causing an elderly man a headache.

Keith Nunn, from near Coleford, applied for planning permission to the Forest Council in January to remove the tree. While the work to carry out tree management was approved by the council, Mr Nunn says it placed a tree preservation order (TPO) meaning he is unable to touch it.

He said: “It is a lovely tree but it’s in the wrong place, and is causing me lots of work and worry. It is one of the largest trees in the Forest and requires a lot of maintenance which I don’t want anymore. The branches overhang my neighbour’s fence and block my gutters which I have to clear. I asked the council for permission to cut it down and they put a protection order on it meaning I can’t touch it.”

Enforcement officers from the council started work to remove smaller-sized branches on the tree on Monday but stopped due to a breach of one of the conditions on the approval notice.

Mr Nunn said: “The workmen took bells off the branch ends but didn’t remove the larger branches – looking at the tree you wouldn’t think they have done anything. They told me they couldn’t do any more because they should have completed the work before March 1.”

The council says the TPO was served in 2013 after proposals to remove the tree were refused.

The tree was deemed unsafe following a survey and required some maintenance work, which was passed, but a condition of the approval notice states work shall not be carried out between March 1 and November 1 in order to protect the health of the tree, meaning work is delayed for the next eight months.

It’s understood the works will be carried out by the next door neighbour as the tree overhangs their property.

It’s thought the tree can reach heights of up to 160ft.