Islington Tribune - News: Health and safety fears of ‘killer pears’

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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 16 November 2007

Bridget Butt and Antke de Souza

Health and safety fears of ‘killer pears’

Rare trees face the chop as crop of giant pears are deemed a health and safety hazard

A BOUNTIFUL row of rare trees could be marked for the chop because their freak crop of giant pears have been deemed a “health and safety” hazard.
Council tree officers argue the falling Perry pears could harm passers-by. But residents of St John’s Villas, Archway, say the trees only produced the “killer pears” after the council brutally pruned them two years ago.
Resident Bridget Butt, who is campaigning to save the trees, said: “The pears suddenly appeared thanks to the council pruning them drastically. How can anybody think of cutting down these fantastically spectacular trees? They are the most incredibly beautiful trees I’ve ever seen in the street. It’s why we like living here.”
Although there is no fruit on the trees at the moment the council is considering how to prevent a repeat crop next year. Tree officers will discuss the options with residents but have not ruled out chopping them down.
Ms Butt and her neighbours have offered to pay for the fruit to be picked in the hope that they will be spared but their offer was declined.
Ms Butt said: “The council said they can’t have any other people working on their trees. But if they won’t pick the fruit why can’t anybody else pick them? The council officer said the plan was to fell the trees because of the falling pears. I couldn’t believe it. Apparently some people had complained. But I’ve always parked my car underneath and I’ve never worried. I can see that if a pear fell on you it might be uncomfortable but I don’t know what the problem is.”
Green councillor Katie Dawson said: “The council should absolutely not take this drastic action. There’s very strong evidence from the experts to say that this is a freak crop caused by imprudent managent of the trees. In the past they weren’t pruned for many years and then were pruned severely. When trees think they are dying they produce an extra large crop of fruit so you could say the council caused this problem. We should be treasuring these trees.”
Islington’s leisure chief Ruth Polling said: “We have decided not to remove the trees without further resident consultation. It is a very unusual situation but three of these pear trees bear exceptionally large fruit that’s been known to break branches, damage cars and cause the pavement to become dangerously slippery. For these reasons, some residents have called for the council to replace the trees with a species more suited to street planting. However other residents, unstandably, want to protect the trees.
“We’ll decide what to do in consultation with residents – weighing up all views and alternative options to ensure residents’ property is protected but the street remains leafy and pleasant for many years to come.”

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