Closed petition Remove restrictions on felling of sycamore trees due to toxicity

Closed on 2 November 2023

Remove restrictions on felling of all sycamore trees (Acer pseudoplatanus), eg. TPOs, conservation area, size rules, so all landowners have the automatic right to fell these, and it is easier for councils to remove them in public places, due to toxicity causing atypical myopathy to horses.

Sycamore trees can be deadly for horses, containing the toxin hypoglycin A causing atypical myopathy - a potentially fatal muscle disorder affecting the heart and all muscles with a reported mortality rate of 75-90%. Only 20g of sycamore is enough to kill a horse. Sycamores disperse helicopter seeds that can travel miles in high winds. Cases of this disorder appear to be coming more common. Landowner could be required to replace a protected felled tree by planting a non-toxic, native species of tree (sycamores are invasive and non-native trees)