THE chopping down of a tree in Winchester city centre might be considered a trivial matter in itself but reveals a wider problem.

The gleditsia, or honey locust tree, had been growing for around 30 years next to Richard Moss House in North Walls.

It is unclear whether it was planted by McCarthy and Stone when the private company built the property in the early 1990s or by the city council when it bought the building for sheltered housing.

What was clear is that it was a striking and attractive tree that will be missed by many.

READ MORE HERE: Tree felled with only 24-hour notice in Winchester

On Monday the council wrote to local people telling them of their intention to fell the tree the following day. The council says the tree was becoming potentially dangerous and was threatening to damage a nearby wall. Some people living in Richard Moss House disliked it, saying it increase the shade inside their flats, although those flats are on the north side of the building where sunshine is limited.

It is hard for the layman to disagree with the opinion of experts over technical matters but the short notice given for the felling is not good practice. It was likely done to minimise opposition to the removal.

The wider issue is the future of trees in the city. There are hundreds if not thousands of trees planted in Victorian times that are in 'middle age'. One of the attractions of Winchester is its leafiness. More thought needs to be given about the future of tree planting, not least to minimise the future felling of fine trees such as the honey locust by Richard Moss House.