Council bosses say they are “not aware of any specific concerns” about nearby trees after one crashed into a brand-new Darlington home reportedly worth £600,000.
The large tree came crashing down onto the detached property on Antiquary Drive at about 9am on Sunday (October 25), during the height of Storm Boelo.
The property, which is part of the Havelock Park development, was unoccupied at the time, with neighbours saying new occupants had been expecting to move in next month.
The large tree came crashing down onto the detached property on Antiquary Drive at around 9am on Sunday
Darlington Borough Council said it was not currently aware of any specific concerns surrounding other trees in the immediate area, beyond those associated with the recent storm conditions.
It also clarified that the fallen tree was not owned by the council but was on land owned by the developer.
A council spokesperson said: “It was very concerning to see the extent of the damage caused to the property on Antiquary Drive following the weekend's severe weather, and our thoughts are with those affected.
The large tree came crashing down onto the detached property on Antiquary Drive at around 9am on Sunday
“Council officers attended the scene to assess the situation and offer support.
“However, contrary to some reports, the tree involved is not owned by the council. The tree is on land owned by the developer and responsibility for its inspection, maintenance and management rests with the developer.
“While the recent storm brought exceptionally challenging conditions across the area, we understand incidents of this nature can be distressing for residents.
“The council will continue to work with partners where appropriate and respond to any reports relating to trees on council-owned land.
The large tree came crashing down onto the detached property on Antiquary Drive at around 9am on Sunday
“At present, we are not aware of any specific concerns regarding other trees in the immediate area beyond those associated with the recent storm conditions.
“Any reports received will be assessed and investigated in line with our usual procedures.”
Dramatic pictures taken at the scene showed the tree sprawled across the property, with a large section of the roof damaged and tiles torn away.
The large tree came crashing down onto the detached property on Antiquary Drive at around 9am on Sunday
A fence was also damaged and slates dislodged from the roof landed on a neighbour's car, smashing the windscreen.
Homes by Esh, the company behind the Havelock Park development, said teams were working to safely clear the tree before the full extent of the damage could be assessed.
Colin Willetts, deputy managing director at Homes by Esh, said: “We can confirm that over the weekend a tree fell onto a completed property at our Havelock Park development in Darlington.
The large tree came crashing down onto the detached property on Antiquary Drive at around 9am on Sunday
“The incident occurred as a consequence of Storm Boelo, which has heavily impacted the region over the weekend.
“Thankfully, the home was unoccupied at the time and no one was injured.
“We are currently working with our teams to safely clear the fallen tree so that the full extent of the damage can be assessed, prior to working out our next steps.
“We will continue to work closely with all relevant parties and provide support where required.”
One neighbour, who asked not to be named, previously told The Northern Echo he was at the back of his property when he heard the tree come crashing down.
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He said: “It was around 9am this morning and I was in the back of the house and heard this loud bang.
“Thankfully no one was living in the house at the time it happened.”
The incident came as powerful winds from Storm Boelo brought down trees and branches across Darlington and County Durham over the weekend.