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IN DANGER: OUR LEAFY HERITAGE
Trees face twin threat from vandals and developers
ISLINGTON'S leafy heritage – its distinctive street and garden trees – is under its biggest threat since World War II, according to campaigners this week.
Nature lovers are calling for tougher measures to protect trees from “mindless” vandals, insurers who claim roots cause subsidence and hungry developers.
Islington Council has been accused of ignoring its own officials’ recommendations in allowing trees to be axed.
This week, mature London plane trees in Rheidol Terrace, off Essex Road, and three mature poplars in a former playground at Hugh Myddelton School, in Clerkenwell, were under threat.
Other recent battles include one over a plan, later dropped, to remove street pear trees in Archway because it was feared falling fruit might drop on the head of a passer-by.
In Highbury Fields a campaigner saved hundreds of mature trees from the axe by paying for his own independent tree specialist, who “completely demolished” the council’s advice.
Now lone Green councillor Katie Dawson is calling for a borough-wide debate on the issue, with the aim of toughening up tree protection.
In King’s Cross, drunken clubbers are blamed for deliberately vandalising newly planted trees.
Campaigner Stephan Schulte said: “No sooner do we plant trees than they are vandalised. Islington Council replaces the damaged ones but they are vandalised yet again.
“The yobs manage to pull the saplings to bits even when they are inside metal tree guards.”
Mr Schulte called for a “zero tolerance” approach.
He said: “When somebody is arrested for damaging a tree let’s throw the book at them. Make an example of them and maybe the message will get out that we must respect our natural environment.”
As a Green councillor, Cllr Dawson is called to deal with tree issues all over the borough. She claims that borough officials who recommend that trees should be saved are often ignored.
“I’ve spoken to tree officers who throw their hands up in despair and say there is nothing they can do,” she added.
“Islington is too willing to cave in to insurers’ demands when a tree has been implicated in subsidence. Like a lot of boroughs, Islington is very risk-adverse and worries that if a case goes to appeal it could be costly. It’s far easier to cut the tree down.”
Cllr Dawson believes the council has quietly adopted a scheme where special trees are valued financially, as has been done by Westminster in Berkeley Square, where a single London plane was given a £750,000 valuation.
Council tree officers value a tree based on size and local significance.
Cllr Dawson added: “Under the pricing scheme, insurers will have to prove there is a definite link between the tree and subsidence. I’ve been told about the scheme by a tree officer but there’s been no publicity.”
Lib Dem leisure chief Councillor Ruth Polling agreed that trees were a big issue.
She added: “No one likes removing specimens and they are never cut down without any reason. They may have rot or fungal infection or simply need reducing.
“I’m the councillor responsible for the borough’s trees and since I was appointed I’ve always made sure residents are aware of why a specimen is being removed.
“In the case of trees having to be cut down because of a development then we must balance the position of the tree with the benefits of the new scheme.” |
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