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Camden News - by SIMON WROE
Published: 20 November 2008

‘Blatant vandalism’: Jonathan Simpson and Jo Baktis with other Friends of St Georges Gardens

Protest fails to save trees from chainsaw

DEVELOPERS have been accused of “vandalism” for chopping down trees in a Bloomsbury conservation area without waiting for the green light from the Town Hall.
Four fully grown Trees of Heaven in Wakefield Street, near St Georges Gardens, were removed by workmen with chainsaws two weeks ago.
The 40ft trees stood on a site owned by Great Marlborough Estates, who plan to build four terraced homes on the small plot.
Labour ward councillor Jonathan Simpson said: “Developers must work with communities rather than riding roughshod over them.
“This kind of blatant and purposeful vandalism should be acted on. Camden must make a public stand and prosecute them as a lesson to other developers.”
Jo Baktis, chairwoman of the Friends of St Georges Gardens, said neighbours had tried to stop the workmen and were “appalled” the trees were being felled without consent.
“They obviously wanted to fill every square metre of their build,” she said. “The houses are being jackknifed into this little plot and a lot of the objections mentioned the trees.”
Dean Clifford, director of Great Marlborough Estates, insisted the company had removed the trees on the advice of their tree expert.
He said: “We are bringing forward the regeneration of an area to provide family housing on a site that has been vacant for over 20 years. We wrote to the local authority stating we intended to remove these trees following advice from our tree expert that the trees were either diseased or releasing sap that is acidic and can be dangerous.
“Although [the council] said they would confirm their view in writing they never did. We have always made it clear to the local authority that we would replace the trees with mature native species.”
Charles Thuaire, Camden’s planning chief, said: “The removal of these important trees is at best premature and officers are taking the matter very seriously indeed, with a view to either prosecuting the applicant and/or requiring the trees’ effective replacement.”

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