Trees damaged by fire after fatal crash in High Wycombe to be removed
Buckinghamshire Council granted consentfor the trees on land between Arizona Way and Daws Hill Lane to be felled
Five trees damaged by fire following a fatal crash in High Wycombe have been approved for removal amid concerns about their future safety.
Buckinghamshire Council granted consent on October 6 for the trees on land between Arizona Way and Daws Hill Lane to be felled.
The application, submitted by Taylor Wimpey West London, covers three beech trees, an ash and a sycamore.
Driver Sameer Ali Ahktar, 19, and his front-seat passenger Kristof Csaba Csillang, 20, died in a three-vehicle collision on Daws Hill Lane on July 24, 2025. Their inquest heard that the Audi caught fire after colliding with a Volkswagen Polo and then a Honda Jazz.
A council officer’s report says the trees were damaged by an intense fire following a fatal accident in 2025. The report also notes memorial materials at the site.
The largest beech was considered likely to survive, but its fire-damaged trunk would eventually degrade and decay, leaving it vulnerable to “catastrophic failure”.
Another beech was in decline, while the future safety of a third was considered questionable because its potential recovery was limited.
The sycamore also had damage to its trunk and branches. The ash was already dead and could be removed under an exemption from tree preservation rules.
Officers acknowledged that losing the trees would harm the street scene and local landscape character.
However, their removal was considered acceptable on safety grounds.
Permission requires five replacement common beech trees to be planted close to those removed during the following planting season, between November and February.
The approved works must take place within two years, with replacement planting intended to safeguard the area’s character.