The Duchess of York has launched a petition to stop Amazon building a warehouse, which will result in the trees that inspired one of her children’s book being “brutally chopped down”
Sarah Ferguson was “absolutely horrified” to find out that a number of ancient trees, near to where she grew up in Hampshire, are being felled to make way for the new storage facility and has urged people to sign a petition to prevent it happening
1 June 2021
The 61-year old ex-wife of the Duke of York - with whom she shares daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie - wrote on Instagram: "I was absolutely horrified to hear that approval has been given by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council for a massive, 220,000 square metre warehouse - apparently to be occupied by Amazon - which will mean these trees being brutally chopped down."
She also shared how the trees had provided the inspiration for one of her children's books, and felling them would completely contradict the message 'The Enchanted Oak Tree' is meant to convey.
She added: "These trees inspired my children's book The Enchanted Oak Tree (in honour of and in thankfulness for my father, my oak tree has his big red bushy eyebrows!) which was published last year. The book was designed to pass on the magic of an old oak tree to the next generation, inspired by the trees I grew up with. The proposals will destroy the woodland corridor of 67 mature oaks and three mature beech trees of Grade A status on the old road into Dummer, plus a further 13 oak trees.
"As a girl, I remember particularly loving the oak trees in and around Dummer, including those which formed an avenue on the old road into the village.
"I really cannot bear the thought that anyone would think it possible to cut down these incredible trees that have inspired me for decades for storage space. These plans must be brought to a halt before it is too late."
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