Friday 5 October 2012

Chainsaw massacre

A couple of weeks back the sound of chainsaws could be heard for a number of hours down our end of Breakspears Road. Turns out five lime trees were being felled in a local front garden - FIVE. I went to talk to the tree surgeons and was told that they were healthy trees being removed for what he thought were 'insurance reasons'. 

It got me thinking about the number of trees we are losing in private gardens across the local area (on top of the losses we are suffering among our street tree stock), so I decided to investigate. 

All tree work done in the conservation area must be authorised via the Planning Department, so I went looking for Lewisham Council's planning application website at: 

http://acolnet.lewisham.gov.uk/LEWIS-XSLPagesDC/acolnetcgi.exe?

Using the available filters on the site I looked for all applications registered from 1/1/12 to 30/09/12 in Brockley Ward with an application type 'Trees in conservation areas'. There were 64 matches. 56 had been decided as of 30/09/12. None had been appealed. 

Of these original 64, I did a quick search via my browser for the word "FELL" ie. to find applications where permission to fell had been made. There were 36 applications that included tree felling work. I then looked at the text of these 36 applications to see what details were available, and discovered that a total of 71 trees were involved. 

Without a lot of extra work, I couldn't go through the detailed applications, even though they are available on the website. From a cursory scan it would appear that the vast majority of these applications were granted. Some of the trees are 'nuisance value' trees like lleylandii but many are not. And whatever they are, they are often habitat and food sources for nesting birds and other species. 

The tally for these 71 trees was: 

Rowan - 1 
Pear - 1 
'Conifer' - 5
Elder - 5  
Sycamore - 19   
Cherry - 1 
Acacia - 2 
'Two trees' - 2 
Lleylandii - 12 
Apple - 1 
Norway Maple - 2
Italian Alder - 1   
Lime - 10 
Acer spp. - 2 
London Plane - 1 
Cypress - 1  
Eucalyptus - 1  
Mimosa - 1  
Robinia - 1  
'Pine' - 1  
Holly - 1   

This is a surprising number of trees to lose, with not all species being 'nuisance value' species. Of course, much of this work is necessary, but how aware are you of the steady loss of trees across the conservation area? 

Eamonn
Brockley Society

14 comments:

  1. The biggest tragedy was the huge tree in front of the flats at 87 Tyrwhitt Road. This was ostensibly done for "insurance" reasons provoked by the neighbouring house. Can't these insurance companies be fought? Once the trees are cut they are gone and subsidence blamed on them may well continue. Of course insurance companies will say subsidence is the fault of a tree; it's a stalling tactic and cheaper than underpinning. I'd like to see some statistics on how many house continue to subside AFTER the offending trees are cut.

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    1. Dear Anonymous.

      Yes, many of us miss that tree; it was a very big loss.

      We are up against very complex arguments in the 'roots cause subsidence' debate. If you are the owner of a house which is cracking up, you too would want to protect such a valuable asset. Trees are an easy target (and, in truth, sometimes the cause). Sadly, the insurance companies and arboreal consultants now have a very powerful advantage in being highly organised, backed by (controversial) court rulings, which makes them virtually unassailable. Those of us wanting to question their methods and science need to cooperate and become more technically literate. People with the right skills are very hard to find, and it will take a London wide effort to make significant impact.

      We too are interested in the post-felling question you raise. Would you like to take it on for us?! If you are, drop us a line!

      All the best, and thanks for your continued interest.

      Brockley Society Tree Wardens

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  2. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that it was an offence against a law (local or national) to fell trees over 40 ft tall without a sound reason and that it was only the council and/or the Forestry Commission who could sanction such a tree felling. There is far FAR too much of this going on in Brockley, and it makes my blood boil. 'Insurance reasons' sounds like yet another excuse or variation on the 'health and safety' excuse. I would like to know if anyone has any statistics or facts about how many people have been injured or kiled by falling trees or branches (outside of storms) in the last few years; I'll bet none. Nevertheless, it seems that Brockley's chainsaw blight will never end. Where I live, in Wickham Gardens, the square has been decimated and visually ruined because many of the trees were declared to be diseased. Most of the felling was done without consultation or notice, and it seemed odd, to say the least, that it appeared that the people (a commercial company) doing the felling were the very same people who had told the council that they were diseased, or at least they had a hand in the decision. Nice. How often does this happen?

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  3. Hello Leo,

    There is a very 'cool' set of criteria used to decide how/if trees are protected (and nothing to do with hight as far as we know) - it is 'public amenity value'.

    There is a good summary of what's involved on the website of Woking Council (see http://www.woking.gov.uk/planning/trees/advice/protected/criteria). If single trees pass these criteria, Tree Protection Orders can be applied by the council. These TPOs are not in themselves guarantees against further assault, but they are a great help. Of course, all tree work in the Brockley Conservation Area require requires planning permission, and work that is done without planning consent can be punished.

    We are only a small group of (part time) enthusiasts here at The Brockley Society and we are always looking for people who might want to contribute (see the Getting Involved tab above). If you think you can offer something,
    do get in touch.

    All good wishes

    Brockely Society Tree Wardens

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    1. Hi, thanks for this. Firstly, I would really like to help or get involved in this, but I am both not well and also working 80+ hours a week (such is the life of the self-employed), but I am very grateful for your reply and the work you're doing here because trees, nature, and Brockley are all important to me. We are blessed by living in what I feel is one of the nicest parts of London, and the chain saw blight on our trees is undermining that big-time. Specifically, with regard to Wickham Gardens, the residents were not consulted about what was done except for a nasty and misleading little 'flyer' that badly, innacurately and vaguely under-described what was proposed. Then the deed was done, and no one could do anything about it. I am not sure if all of Wickham Gardens is in the Conservation Area or not, but my house certainly is, but all I know is that as fas as I am aware planning permission was NOT sought or granted for this decimation of our trees. It'd be interesting to know if it ever is, or if there are ways that those who do this can get around this...(???). It's one thing having a law for this or that, but the practical reality is that this doesn't actually mean that the powers-that-be ever have to obey or even acknlowledge it. It seems that they usually don't.

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    2. Hi Eamonn, a 'PS.'...(re your "'cool' set of criteria"); the key words in your sentence are "how/if", because it seems that no one are using the criteria you cited in the decisions for cutting down or drastically 'crowning' or pollarding trees in this area. The point is that even if "Tree Protection Orders can be applied by the council" they do not seem to be doing so, so 'can' does not mean that they actually are. I am not aware of ANY such Tree Protection Order being issued in Brockley - but do correct me if I'm wrong. If I am right, this is shameful.

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  4. Hello Leo,

    Wickham Gardens is certainly in the conservation area so all tree work done by residents needs planning permission. However, if you are referring to work done on the public space trees that form the 'Garden' of your street name, that is the responsibility of the council and their contractors. They are not formally obliged to tell you what they are going to do vis-à-vis the trees/gardens, but of course, it would be good for public relations if they did! We would be happy to take up your concerns with the council if that would be useful. We have good relations with Green Scene (the part of the council responsible for all things to do with the green environment) so please drop us an email using the details given on the 'Contacts' tab above if you would like us to do that.

    Re Tree Protection Orders. These are normally applied to veteran or notable trees or to trees that are under some kind of (contested) impending threat. They are rare but we know of a number of trees in the conservation area that have TPOs.

    Drastic pollarding (of the kind recently done in Adelaide Avenue and St Margaret's Road to the London Plane trees) is usually done on a scheduled basis and forms part of the Council's obligations to keep the roots of these large trees in check. There are complex reasons why trees are reduced or pollarded, but such work done by reputable tree surgeons/arborocultural services is not harmful, and usually quite beneficial to the trees (even thought they look somewhat butchered for a while!).

    All good wishes

    Brockley Society Tree Wardens

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  5. Well it's nice that at least some trees in this area are given TPO's, but i feel there aren't enough. It's not neccesarily the quality or rarity of trees in this area, but the quantity that needs to be protected. Specifically, with regard to Wickham Gardens, the 'garden' (a.k.a dog toilet) in the middle is not technically or legally owned by ANYONE, and this includes the council. It seems unclear, to say the least, how or why this situation came about (Herman Goering probably had a hand in it orginally), but the council maintains this area, sort of. It's a tricky situation, because although I'd not argue, of course, that I'd want it to go wild, but at the same time the very drastic cutting down or back of the trees in this area was not needed and no one bothered to explain or excuse this properly to any of the residents. This can't be the only area where this has happened. If this is in a Conservation Area (as I thought) then how many other places in Brockley are residents feelings being trampled on like this? It would not be the first time that the council side-stepped Conservation laws in this local area, as I know to my cost, e.g. for years and years they illegally rubber-stamped their own 'temporary' planning permission for a local housing office in the gardens in the alley in the garedns that runs between Harefield Road and Wickham Gardens. Then, when they sold the plot later, they then abused and/or conveniently mislaid previous planning consents for it...and so on, and although this all seems off the point of trees, it isn't; these are signs that the council will do what it wants when it wants how it wants to...and there are many trees in this area which are under threat by developers who are taking a lot of interest in these gardens....

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  6. Hello Leo,

    TPOs are used sparingly, because they need to retain their 'prohibitive' impact, and they are really only used for trees that are unusually 'valuable'.

    I've dug out a reference to the Guidance Document issued by Lewisham Council on "Works to Trees Subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO)" and "Notification of Proposed Works to Trees in Conservation Areas" - see here: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/1app/guidance/guidance_note-works_to_trees.pdf.

    The green space in Wickham Gardens is the owned by and the responsibility of Lewisham Council who have contracted Pinnacle PSG to maintain the green space. Pinnacle are active across the borough and the Tree Group within The Brockley Society have developed useful relationships with them. The Pinnacle website describes their work in Brockley here: http://www.pinnacle-psg.com/case-studies/the-brockley-consortium.htm

    We have taken your comments about the history of poor communication with residents of Wickham Gardens on board and will take this up with Pinnacle on your behalf, and on the behalf of other residents.

    In closing, it does seem to the Tree Group that there is an ideal opportunity here to bring the residents of Wickham Gardens and the residents of the social housing opposite together to take a co-operative interest in this valuable piece of Brockley green space. It is these small plots of greenery that add so much to what is called the 'amenity value' of the location (such a poor descriptive term!). It is our understanding that Pinnacle PSG would welcome community involvement here and this is also something that we will raise with them.

    All good wishes

    Brockley Society Tree Wardens

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  7. Hello Leo,

    TPOs are used sparingly, because they need to retain their 'prohibitive' impact, and they are really only used for trees that are unusually 'valuable'.

    I've dug out a reference to the Guidance Document issued by Lewisham Council on "Works to Trees Subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO)" and "Notification of Proposed Works to Trees in Conservation Areas" - see here: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/1app/guidance/guidance_note-works_to_trees.pdf.

    The green space in Wickham Gardens is the owned by and the responsibility of Lewisham Council who have contracted Pinnacle PSG to maintain the green space. Pinnacle are active across the borough and the Tree Group within The Brockley Society have developed useful relationships with them. The Pinnacle website describes their work in Brockley here: http://www.pinnacle-psg.com/case-studies/the-brockley-consortium.htm

    We have taken your comments about the history of poor communication with residents of Wickham Gardens on board and will take this up with Pinnacle on your behalf, and on the behalf of other residents.

    In closing, it does seem to the Tree Group that there is an ideal opportunity here to bring the residents of Wickham Gardens and the residents of the social housing opposite together to take a co-operative interest in this valuable piece of Brockley green space. It is these small plots of greenery that add so much to what is called the 'amenity value' of the location (such a poor descriptive term!). It is our understanding that Pinnacle PSG would welcome community involvement here and this is also something that we will raise with them.

    All good wishes

    Brockley Society Tree Wardens

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  8. Hello Eamonn, Thanks for this, and for that link to the document about TPOs, which is very interesting. I wish I knew about that before the tree massacre in Wickham Gardens had taken place because there are so many points in that which were flouted in the work and the notification for the work etc but I haven't got time to go into this now. What was done has been done but, for the record, as far as I can tell, all the information I have seen shows that the green space in Wickham Gardens (a.k.a. dog toilet) is decidedly NOT owned by Lewisham Council, so if you have any information that shows that it is I'd be very grateful to know about it. As far as I am aware the ownership of this green area was left strangely (but understandably) vague after the V2 rocket came down on what was No20 Wickham Gardens (March 1945) and flattened all the houses on that side of the square and effectively ruined the large house that faced onto Wickham Road, the house who's back garden formed part of what is now Hazel House in Wickham Gardens and the road in front of it in Wickham Gardens. The exigencies of war meant that this ownwership was never resolved as far as I am aware and there is nothing in law that says that the council automatically owns land that whose ownership is vague or unknown. This also means that there is nothing in law that says that the council should maintain it - but I am not saying abandon it - it's nice when this is maintained, and it's much appreciated when it comes to grass cutting and stuff, but in devastating the trees that are there without adequate notice, explanation or justification was wrong, especially if this square is in a Conservation Area. With the constant buzz of chainsaws in my ears I would still like to know if ANYONE has ever been injured or killed by falling branches in London in the last decade or two, and if not, then why is so much effort and MY money spent on so much felling, pollarding, crowning etc in Brockley?????

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  9. Hello all fellow tree-lovers!

    We have a situation at 82 Wickham Road, where we have 5 wonderful limes along the boundary with the road. Unfortunately, where the wall (which is gradually collapsing)needs rebuilding, we were told by the bricklayer, on getting a quote - that one of the trees would have to be taken out.

    I have been in touch with Planning & Conservation at Lewisham Council to see if there is a way we can keep all of our trees; given that the wall is not an original wall, I would have hoped the retention of the trees would take precedence over the wall. One of their senior people has apparently visited the property and taken photos last autumn but to date has not volunteered a solution. I have been in touch now approx. 5 times and still no answer forthcoming.

    I understand there is a way of building a wall where the roots can be 'bridged' and have seen cases where a wall has been interrupted to allow for a tree. If anyone reading this blog has any information on this tree/wall situation or knows of a precedent in the conservation area where a solution has been achieved, please would you let me know.

    Many thanks & all best wishes for 2014

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    1. Eamonn - BrocSoc Tree Committee26 January 2014 at 09:23

      Dear Anonymous, We would be happy to chase this for you, but you have posed anonymously and we have no way of getting back in touch. Can you drop our excellent administrator a line at brockleysocietytrees@yahoo.com and he'll get back to you.

      (I'm sure any creative bricklayer can manage to get around a tree root or two).

      Best wishes

      Eamonn
      Brockley Society Tree Committee

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  10. Dear Eamonn, thank you very much for your response re the trees at 82 Wickham Road. I will contact the administrator at the link you have provided.

    Best wishes

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