Trees marked for removal

Arkady

Is there anything that we can do about this, comedy treehouses aside?

nick_m

I have just written to Lynne, as I reckon its a matter of national policy too.

Brodiej

I guess it depends on the individual case but this (overly long, sorry) article looks quite relevant

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3355605/Cracking-up.html

Ali

Well she is into cuts !

Papa

Cut down trees - put in speed bumps I presume I'm not the only one able to see how two of the councils' policies may be conflicting with each other.

Arkady

An old local fellah once told me that the Victorians threw their used bathwater against their external walls in order to keep the clay moist and prevent subsidence. Perhaps a similar policy might be better than felling mature trees.

ADGS

Papa L - both policies make for more concrete and lower quality of life, so in that sense they're in perfect harmony.

Arkady

The trees are gone. RIP trees.

nick_m

Aye - 'tis a sad state of affairs. The bottom of FPR looks a mighty sad sight now.

Arkady

Ironically there was an article in the Metro today about how large, old trees allegedly reduce crime in neighbourhoods. This sounded like BS, but I didn't read the evidence.

miss annie

I saw it online, it's research from the U.S. The gist of which is that large trees suggest that the houses in the vicinity are well cared for, and that they are therefore less attractive to burglars and other bandits. So yes, like much of Metro, cobblers.

Papa

One of Haringey's tree people gave me a call after I sent a message to the council. Apparently, the council had no choice. When it comes to going to court to fight insurers, it is weighted heavily against saving the trees. It is up to the council to show the trees aren't causing subsidence rather than the insurer to show they are. It seems that basically any evidence of roots going to the house and you'll lose. Apparently it's the system that's bust not the council (don't hate the player, hate the game etc). London councils are trying to get together with insurers to make it better, but I don't imagine that will happen. Oh, and the reason why the notices are vague is so as not to get a flood of similar claims. It's lost a lot of character from the entrance to that bit of Stapleton Hall Road with those trees down.

Arkady

I only we could come up with a way of giving it more character… I know, knock down the ‘sheds’, redevelop them into classical masterpieces, and re-open Stroud Green station. There, sorted. I wonder if or when they will replant the trees. London Planes are supposed to have quite small root balls anyway though I think?

miss annie

London Planes are an excellent choice as they have good resistance to disease and they thrive in areas with high levels of air pollution. Here is some current guidance on how far away trees should be from houses. It's based on the most common British species, I didn't notice what kind the murdered trees were. <http://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/trees.html>;

Arkady

Well they were certainly a lot less than 22 meters. Probably less than ten meters too.

ADGS

I went for a wander round the area last night and it wasn't quite the slash & burn wasteland I'd feared; its charm has been marred rather than ruined. Nonetheless, whatever individual, wherever they may be (I'm guessing an accountant) originally came up with this counterfactual policy re: subsidence - I hope their house falls down with them in it.

nick_m

Something has to be done. It's happening all over the bleeding country, not just in our (slightly less) leafy corner of North London. If the practice continues, there'll be no trees left in the urban environment. I was cycling down FPR & Hanley Rd this morning, thinking how pleasant it is with the lines of trees and leaves blowing in the Autumn wind. According to the insurers, the whole lot could be clear cut as they all pose subsidence risk. As I said before, it's bollocks. Every tree should be independently assessed prior to felling to ensure that it does actually pose a real subsidence risk and this should be paid for by the accusing party (i.e. the insurers). It's too easy for them to get the council to fell trees that have been standing for decades and not causing any problems at all. The root checks they do now are total rubbish. Of course there will be roots within a certain radius of a tree; it doesn't stand to reason that it causes subsidence though. I'm waiting for a reply from Lynne. (p.s. I also saw some - I suppose Islington - council workers hard at work with leaf blowers this morning, trying to contain fallen leaves. Are they totally mental?! It was half blowing a gale. What a waste of time and money. Why don't they pay them to break rocks while they're at it?)

sincers

For me this highlights what a passive bunch we are. We've been bleating on about for a good week, where we could have actually mobilized and protested against this corporate vandalism. This could have got it onto the local news and a debate could then start about felling of trees by councils; and such knee-jerk decisions would require more thought/permission etc. I sympathize with Brodiej, and proximity of trees concerns me, but they've been there so long, that them being the cause of subsidence doesn't seem to add up. And one they're gone they've gone. I feel incensed that insurance companies have this kind of power over our environment. And aren't these tree protected under the conservation area. Is it legal?

Arkady

I agree sincers, I feel a certain shame. Comrades, please keep us informed of responses from Lynne et al. I think we should go to war if this is threatened again. It strikes me as outrageous that the signs were only up for what, a week before the trees were brought down?

dorothy

I'll find out from Lynne/Cllrs if anymore trees are up for the chop/what the council's strategy is. I looked at the one on Florence Road, though. There was only the one, and it did look like it had gotten a bit out of hand, after which I calmed down a bit. Maybe there's a case for the council lowering the canopy of some of the trees, I'm no expert, but letting a load of trees be cut down is just sad.

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nick_m

I've written to trees for cities (www.treesforcities.org) to see what they can do about trying to lobby for a common policy clarifying this and strengthing councils' positions, by placing the onus on the prosecuting party (i.e. the insurance companies) to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the tree in question is the cause of subsidence. Their manifesto oddly seems silent on the matter.

yagamuffin

Insurance companies!
People claim on their home insurance for subsidence and the insurance companies make the council pull down the mature trees which they say cause it.

Of course everyone ignores the speed bumps which are the real menace.

ADGS

Having finally begun to show glimmers of recovery after last year's butchery, the trees on the Islington side of SGR are being macerated again. I presume this is something to do with the Clean Sweep leaflet we had through the door yesterday, which mentioned 'vegetation hanging over pavements' as though it were a blight rather than a balm. Councils may now all have their flagship policies in an attempt to paint themselves as green, but really they all need root and branch (sorry) reform to integrate it throughout policies. And having used a chainsaw before, I'd be happy to make an example of the most retrograde elements myself.

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gardener-joe

Well, in Paris there are massive plane trees along many of the boulevards, so how come the French can cope and we cannot?

nick_m

I wrote to Lynne Featherstone some time ago and she replied promising to escalate my concerns re: insurance companies and tree removal for subsidence to Caroline Spelman. In the meantime, she recommended that concerned people get involved with this: <http://transitionfinsburypark.org.uk/nursery>; I think this also means I will not be protesting against Lynne.

Arkady

Nice touch. I like the tree nursery idea a lot.