Allow landowners the automatic right to fell a sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) on their land due to the deadly toxicity of this tree causing atypical myopathy to horses and other grazing livestock.  

This petition seeks to allow landowners the automatic right to fell a sycamore tree on their land, revoking the tree’s protection from any Tree Preservation Order, conservation area rules, sizing rules and any other form of protection given to the tree. The landowner must replace the felled tree by planting a suitable non-toxic, native species of tree.

Sycamore trees are deadly for horses and other livestock due to their leaves, flowers, helicopter seeds and seedlings containing the toxin hypoglycin A (HGA) causing a disease called atypical myopathy. This toxin causes a severe and fatal muscle disorder affecting the heart and all muscles, preventing the horse from standing and breathing and with a reported mortality rate of 75% - 90% of cases. As little as 20g of sycamore is enough to kill a horse. The trees are able to disperse their helicopter seeds in abundance within 500 metres of the tree but the helicopter seeds can also travel up to 8 miles in high winds. This disease is becoming increasingly common as extreme weather appears to be linked to increased toxicity and a further spread of the helicopter seeds and resulting seedlings. The sycamore tree is classed as an invasive species of tree that is non-native, is extremely common and is not in need of protection or in danger of extinction. 

The passing of this petition would allow for the necessary reduction of loss of life to horses and other grazing livestock.