Planted in George III’s reign, the three oaks have stood side by side for more than two centuries.
But now two of the trio – known as the Billingshurst Sisters – could be felled over claims they have damaged a nearby house built in the 1980s.
Insurance giant AXA said their roots have caused cracks and subsidence in the home in the West Sussex village and that the 90ft-high trees must be axed.
The firm has overturned a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) and has sought permission to chop them down from the landowner, Billingshurst Parish Council.
However, furious villagers branded the move ‘eco-terrorism’ and urged the council to oppose the application. Their fate will be decided at a meeting tomorrow.
Campaigners accuse AXA of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut – and failing to properly investigate the subsidence.
They say that shallow foundations or other factors may instead be to blame. More than 2,500 villagers have now signed a petition to save the oaks.
Gabi Barrett, who launched the petition, said the trees are ‘vital to the community’s ecosystem’.
Hellbound and Down 