We are indebted to our friends at Enfield RoadWatch who have allowed us to re-use the following text sent to their supporters.
Fairview New Homes recently submitted a planning application for work on trees in the Enfield Road fields that they have managed for the London Diocese for over 10 years. ‘Managed’ loosely covers what Fairview Homes have been doing as the fields have largely been allowed to re-wild, except for the grazing of a few horses. It therefore seems suspicious that this application comes just after Enfield RoadWatch submitted the fields as a potential site for the GLA’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy and included the habitat survey that was completed last year, which suggested sufficient biodiversity for the fields to be considered as a Local Wildllife Site [SINC].
The following issues are noted with this application:
- The trees are allegedly dead and in danger of collapse. Their removal is allegedly to “enable the retained trees and hedgerows, as well as grazing land, to develop” (see Statement of Reasons). However the map provided shows four of the five trees in the middle of open space, posing no impediment to retained trees or hedgerows,
- According to the application form, where work is to be carried out on a protected tree, the applicant is “required to provide written aboricultural advice or other diagnostic information from an appropriate expert”. This is not supplied,
- An ecologist working for Enfield RoadWatch believes the work is effectively land clearance to reduce the likelihood of any significant biodiversity being retained or encouraged. It will simply make the area a little easier to build on,
- Scrub is a valuable asset for birds and invertebrates. Unfortunately it is the wrong time of year to insist on breeding bird surveys being carried out. It might increase the amount of land available for horses to graze but it will significantly decrease the biodiversity value. It has nothing to do with safety,
- How rigorous were the tree surveys? The brevity and lack of detail regarding structural and physiological conditions of the trees mentioned in the documents imply that they were not. All tree work recommended should be carried out to the industry standard of BS 3998:2010 by competent and fully qualified tree surgeons,
- There is no mention of tree sizes or categorisation of condition—this is particularly important when it comes to larger trees as bat roosts may be present. (If they have not carried out bat surveys, any voids, loose bark, dense coverings of ivy should be subject to a close up visual inspection by an ecologist with a Natural England Class 2 licence before any work is done. This is likely involve use of climbing equipment, high powered torches and endoscopes.)
Among the points which could be raised in an objection to the planning application are:
- as it is the lack of care for the larger oak trees by the land owners/ managers that has led to their demise, ask that for every tree removed it is replaced with two heavy standard oaks of native provenance
- remind the Council that where possible, pollarding is better than monolithing and that all deadwood should remain on site. It could be used to construct loggeries for stag beetles and other invertebrates.
The application is 24/03061/TPO and can be found at https://planningandbuildingcontrol.enfield.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=SJN97KJNIWQ00
Once you have registered, you can comment on the application. You can find the Enfield RoadWatch’s objection on their website. Closing date for making comments is 5pm, 30th October 2024.