Questions have been raised over the circumstances surrounding the felling of an oak tree believed to be around 170 years old beside the A1 at Greeba Towers.

The tree was removed yesterday after the major route between Douglas and Peel was closed to traffic, with the closure causing significant disruption for motorists travelling through Foxdale and Archallagan.

The claims have been reported by Manx.News, which says it has reviewed correspondence, emails and phone records relating to the works.

According to the report, work to replace a boundary wall at Greeba Towers had been stopped by a Health and Safety Inspectorate officer after part of the existing wall had been removed and a new retaining structure had begun to be installed.

Manx.News reports that a structural engineer had warned stopping the work could leave the bank exposed and potentially put mature trees, including the oak, at risk.

It further reports that attempts were made to resolve the situation, including intervention from officials within government, but the prohibition on the works remained in place.

The oak was subsequently deemed to pose a risk to the road and was felled, resulting in an emergency closure of the A1.

The closure was initially expected to last until 5pm but continued until almost 7pm while contractors removed the tree. Significant delays were reported in the surrounding area.

Manx.News reports that the matter had been escalated to senior levels of government, including Chief Executive of the Civil Service Mark Lewin, although no resolution was reached before the tree had to be removed.

The owner of Greeba Towers told Manx.News he was disappointed that the historic tree had been felled and claimed it could have been retained had the retaining wall works been completed.

However, the circumstances surrounding the decision-making, including the reasons for the work being stopped and the advice provided by officials and engineers, have not been independently established.

Isle of Man Today has now received a statement from DEFA in response - You can read that HERE: https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/government-say-170-year-old-tree-had-to-be-felled-after-safety-assessment-936522