With news that Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee will decide the fate of Saundersfoot’s ‘Lonely Tree’ on Wednesday, June 9, objectors say ‘a great injustice and travesty must be prevented’.

“Saundersfoot’s Lonely Tree must be saved for future generations to witness and enjoy,” say administrators of the now 1.2k strong ‘Save Saundersfoot’s Lonely Tree’ Facebook group.

“We’ve some really amazing enthusiastic supporters of our wonder of nature thriving on its rocky habitat on Scar Rock, so we’d like to share this objection by one member Marcel Laval, so eloquently and beautiful put,” says Nina Thomas, administrator of the group.

“This Monterey Cypress has been part of our Saundersfoot community for many many years, the tale of this tree not only is rooted in our local history, but also in the fabric of our celebrated and commercially prized landscape.

“The tree, its branches and trunk are as a branded image as much as the golden sands it sits atop to Saundersfoot village, as much a shaded refuge for people and animals as the harbour offers refuge from the sea for our boats.

“Yet we are exceptionally lucky to be able to find agreement locally, political support, grant funding and investment to protect and develop our harbour and precinct, but not this very symbol of the conservation of our natural environment? At a time we have celebrity endorsement in verse to remind all our visitors from far and wide to take care of our heritage and landscape, to make little ground impact in our natural surroundings, we face a motion to hack down and fell the very epitome of our beautiful village landscape and our county.

“Arborists have reported on the needs required to carry this emblem of Saundersfoot forward through time and certainly in to the caring hands of our children and with good provision their children. Certainly one report in the public domain has sighted limited first aid is required to maintain the icon to the village and beach. Even in the final judgement of Mother Nature’s own very recent storms and gale force winds recently visited upon the great tree have left this tree standing and proud as it ever was.

“In fairness to the owners and occupiers of the apartments of Beach Court, there is a need to thin the canopy and assure their safety concerns are met by means of the recommended minor root bedding as laid out in the most recent report on the tree, from a qualified expert and funded by the community in a demonstration of ongoing commitment and love for our Monterey Cypress Tree of Saundersfoot. The funding in the short term is available to perform the first aid I suggest as again in the funding of the recent report by the community, long term if this is not a case for an ‘Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant’, itself a product of second home ownership, I am not sure really what is.

“I respectfully remind our community councillors, county councillors and members of the board of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority that the issue is not only of one tree, much loved and iconic to the location of Saundersfoot. The choice is more whether then we as protectors of our beautiful landscape and communities stand up for the words we print and broadcast to the world or we do not. The latter choice gives way to any historic landscape, building or icon of Pembrokeshire to be destroyed, even as here where a preservation order already exists. Further at a time where we have just benefited from seeing our communities come together to survive an ongoing pandemic do we really need to see a demonstration in disregard for those very communities and set a precedent that may never be withdrawn again?”

The Save Saundersfoot’s Lonely Tree group are indebted to Marcel Laval for sharing his heartfelt piece. They are continuing to support and liaise with the Friends of Saundersfoot in raising their objection and hope that they will be able convey their thoughts and present the findings of an up-to-date arborist report commissioned for the Friends at next week’s development managment committee meeting. Save Saundersfoot’s Lonely Tree group can be located on Facebook by searching for the title or using the hashtag #SaveSaundersfootsLonely Tree.