MAdam, Recalling two decisions made by Hereford Council in a conservation area where planning criteria were either abrogated or ignored I find, along with many others, a growing concern about the likely demise of the Prospect Redwood.

Unless other, good and completely independent opinion can be obtained both as to the provenance of the present archaelogical finds and the likelihood of any further discoveries being more positive as to their antecedents it would be a gross vandalism to destroy a beautiful, iconic and irreplaceable tree. A new tree would only accentuate the loss.

Surely, whatever could be found will add nothing to our present knowledge of Roman or medieval history. Aesthetically this tree has everything to do with the heritage of Ross-on-Wye.

P Hewitt, Ross on wye