last night at midnight my whole family was woken by a loud noise on Fairlawn Park that continued for a long time, it was two chainsaws and a tree shredder.
I left my house this morning to find one of the beautiful trees near the start of the road had been reduced to a trunk. The same tree that I had only that week remarked to my wife was looking great. It wasn't too large, wasn't visibly rotting, didn't overhang the road too much, yet someone had deemed it necessary to chop up. I now fear for the similar tree that stands next to it.
Our road needs all the greenery it can get, two years a go another tree was taken down, which I have only just been able to get replaced.
In a city where sewers are overflowing, it sickens me to think that the council are so nonchalant they would rather pay a team to have it felled at midnight when everyone is asleep then leave it be to soak up rain water and make the road greener.
What can be done?
Thanks Lewisham Council for another thoughtless act. I'm gutted.
IT DEFIES ALL LOGIC!
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Fairlawner
- Posts: 17
- Joined: 7 Mar 2008 12:26
- Location: FairLawn Park, Sydenham
Re: IT DEFIES ALL LOGIC!
That's terrible, I love trees, we should be planting more not cutting them down.
It would be interesting to know why they did this? And why at such an hour.
It would be interesting to know why they did this? And why at such an hour.
Re: IT DEFIES ALL LOGIC!
Why on earth would they do it at midnight.
I hope they replace it, it's a lovely tree. The massive one at the back of my house whose branches almost tough my neighbours garden (which is lovely but needs, desperately, to be topped out) isn't in need of any attention.
The tree at the front of Fairlawn was lovely. It seem without any reason it was ripped out. I hope they replace it, hopefully with more than just one tree. I totally agree with (your real name as I know you, but won't share on the forum) that we need more trees.
I hope they replace it, it's a lovely tree. The massive one at the back of my house whose branches almost tough my neighbours garden (which is lovely but needs, desperately, to be topped out) isn't in need of any attention.
The tree at the front of Fairlawn was lovely. It seem without any reason it was ripped out. I hope they replace it, hopefully with more than just one tree. I totally agree with (your real name as I know you, but won't share on the forum) that we need more trees.
Re: IT DEFIES ALL LOGIC!
Can any of our local cllrs find out why it was removed and what it will be replaced with?
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Fairlawner
- Posts: 17
- Joined: 7 Mar 2008 12:26
- Location: FairLawn Park, Sydenham
Re: IT DEFIES ALL LOGIC!
I have posed the questions to Chris Best, as she has helped me many times in the past. I will post any responses I get from her and hope it's in time to save the other trees! 
Re: IT DEFIES ALL LOGIC!
if done at that hour, I'd suspect that it was done on the sly.
it's unlikely that the council know about it unless someone has contacted them to complain.
I'd suggest ringing up the council, and asking to speak with the highways department, and then finding a tree officer in that section.
I don't know the area, but could it be that a private owner nearby has issues with the tree?
blocking light, or subsidence?
Do you know if there was a TPO on it? sometimes people need a tree out of the way, but don't realise how beneficial they are, and if they do this at night the culprit won't be found/fined.
it's unlikely that the council know about it unless someone has contacted them to complain.
I'd suggest ringing up the council, and asking to speak with the highways department, and then finding a tree officer in that section.
I don't know the area, but could it be that a private owner nearby has issues with the tree?
blocking light, or subsidence?
Do you know if there was a TPO on it? sometimes people need a tree out of the way, but don't realise how beneficial they are, and if they do this at night the culprit won't be found/fined.
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Fairlawner
- Posts: 17
- Joined: 7 Mar 2008 12:26
- Location: FairLawn Park, Sydenham
Re: IT DEFIES ALL LOGIC!
After emailing Chris Best, my issues was kindly directed to Sarah Foraud of the Green Scene division Lewisham Council, which to my knowledge are responsible for making Lewisham greener. Here is the conversation.....
________________________________
Dear Mr Arnott
Thank you for your enquiry concerning the tree in Fairlawn Park.
Sadly this tree had to be worked upon as an emergency and there has been no choice in this situation. Trees do decline over time due to various reasons despite efforts to preserve them which is why all street trees are subject to regular surveying and there is a continously running works programme.
Currently the tree team have a limited budget for planting - we do manage some every year (our full quota for this year has already been established and some have already been planned for within the Sydenham ward), but the bulk of the budget we have has to be spent on the maintenance and upkeep of our tree stock which is extremely large and which we wish to preserve as it is such an important asset.
Additionally, the following can be done to enable tree planting
1) Residents can approach their local ward assembly and request money for planting.
If a bid is successful the cost of a tree is £240 and residents take the responsibility of watering the tree for a period of two years. Information about your local assembly and when/where it is next due to meet can be found on http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/getinvolved/ ... fault.aspx - I know that contributions for the next planting season (2014/15 -we plant in the colder months - usually oct/nov/begging of dec to jan/feb/march ) have been allocated by several ward assemblies and it may be worth contacting Sydenham assembly? As time is moving on they may have allocated this financial year monies already - as I do not work for this dept the assembly co-ordinator could advise you. Sometimes trees have been fully funded and at other times they have been part funded with residents keen to have trees networking and contributing the difference.
If monies are allocated then residents liaise locally as required to establish sites, consult with neighbours and decide on preferred species. Sometimes this is straight forward (e.g. vacant pits are present, all residents want trees and know what they want) and sometimes it is more complex (pits have to be found via scanning in which case a scanner is loaned to residents for a period of time so they can search, and there may be conflicting opinions on tree presence and species) - so each case is approached accordingly.
2) Residents can bypass the assembly process and make a personal contribution. If residents take the responsibility of watering the tree for a period of two years the cost is £240, if not the cost is higher as £360 per tree. This route was historically called 'adopt-a-tree'.
3) Bids for external funding are carried out by local community groups who then work in partnership with the council in relation to locating sites and ordering the trees etc . Some groups, such as the Lee Manor Society and the Brockley Society have made contributed to tree planting without seeking external funding.
4) The council applies for monies for national initiatives (e.g. last year lbl successfully bid for trees via the Mayor of London street trees initiative and another will be submitted this year)
In cases 1), 2) and 3) the tree is a contribution as such and not owned by residents as the tree will fall within the council's tree maintenance programme and be the council's responsibility in terms of pruning etc.
Generally existing tree pits can be used.. however all planting sites have to be scanned and/or assessed in relation to:
- underground utility cabling that prohibits planting (there is, unfortunately, a lot of this due to the supplies of gas/water/cable tv/electrics feeding parking meters etc). If streets are devoid of trees it is usually an indicator that planting is not possible.
- Site lines.. planting cannot take place too close to corners/zebra crossings as this can cause a driving hazard to people trying to pull out
- Light infringement - planting between properties, rather than in front of them to reduce impact on light
- The presence of other significant vegetation in gardens adjacent to the pavement - trees and significantly large shrubbery compete for light/water etc so should not be planted close together
- Parking associated issues: the presence of crossovers prohibits planting.
- The presence of lamp posts, notice posts, bollards, electrical boxes, parking meters etc
- Rear garden access doors at the bottom of side alleys which cannot be blocked
If you approach your assembly and monies are available then please liaise with myself and we can take things forward.
I am enclosing species and watering information which may prove useful prior to any discussions you may have with neighbours who are interested too.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Foraud
Services Co-ordinator Green Scene
____________________________________________
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your email. I will digest the information and discuss with the community to see what we can do.
In the meantime, your reasoning for the work on the tree seems a little vague, I would appreciate some education on this. Can you give me more information on what was wrong with the tree and why it had to be worked on at midnight (of all times), to my knowledge it wasn't burning down, dying or suffering from rot of any kind. Also the late night work work resulted in a lot of sleep disturbance in the area and personally for my daughter and consequently my wife and I, which to be honest is not good enough.
Thanks,
James
____________________________________________
Dear Mr Arnott
I am sorry for any inconvenience.
Emergency phone calls relating to trees can be taken at any time day or night and the council will respond to inspect and carry out necessary works. In this case a large bough had split out of the tree and contractors were instructed to do whatever works were necessary to make the situation safe.
We will not be removing this tree as it should resprout - it may not look as good as it did previously - however it could be considered for replacement at some point in the future.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Foraud
Services Co-ordinator
____________________________________________
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for the information. Sounds like extremely desperate measures for a split bough on a small tree on a quiet residential road, occupying an area where there is enough space to walk around it! Call me cynical but to me it feels as though there was a greater motive for the excessive pruning. I am hoping the tree will re-sprout, hey I'll only have to wait 10 years before its back to its former glory. Heres hoping its not the only tree left on the street by then.
Had inspected the tree yourself? As services co-ordinator are you the person making the calls on what tree meets what fate?
Regards,
James
____________________________________________
Dear Mr Arnott
Green scene has a number of different departments and part of my role is to facilitate information and assist in several ways with many different types of enquiries.
Within this I work alongside the tree officers however I do not order the felling of trees - please be assured that all works carried out to trees are necessary - either due to health and safety, or as part of the ongoing maintenance programme - and works orders are raised by the tree officers directly.
Regards
Sarah Foraud
____________________________________________
Hi Sarah.
Ok, thanks for the information and your time on this matter. Heres hoping for a greener Sydenham in future.
Regards,
James
____________________________________________
So, our options are obviously, pay more for extra trees on our streets, out of your own pockets (as funding is slim) and we will still have the right to cut them down when we want.
"Green Scene. Working for a browner, more concrete future for your street."
I hope, whoever did (if anyone actually did) phone in the split bough, is happy with the results!
________________________________
Dear Mr Arnott
Thank you for your enquiry concerning the tree in Fairlawn Park.
Sadly this tree had to be worked upon as an emergency and there has been no choice in this situation. Trees do decline over time due to various reasons despite efforts to preserve them which is why all street trees are subject to regular surveying and there is a continously running works programme.
Currently the tree team have a limited budget for planting - we do manage some every year (our full quota for this year has already been established and some have already been planned for within the Sydenham ward), but the bulk of the budget we have has to be spent on the maintenance and upkeep of our tree stock which is extremely large and which we wish to preserve as it is such an important asset.
Additionally, the following can be done to enable tree planting
1) Residents can approach their local ward assembly and request money for planting.
If a bid is successful the cost of a tree is £240 and residents take the responsibility of watering the tree for a period of two years. Information about your local assembly and when/where it is next due to meet can be found on http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/getinvolved/ ... fault.aspx - I know that contributions for the next planting season (2014/15 -we plant in the colder months - usually oct/nov/begging of dec to jan/feb/march ) have been allocated by several ward assemblies and it may be worth contacting Sydenham assembly? As time is moving on they may have allocated this financial year monies already - as I do not work for this dept the assembly co-ordinator could advise you. Sometimes trees have been fully funded and at other times they have been part funded with residents keen to have trees networking and contributing the difference.
If monies are allocated then residents liaise locally as required to establish sites, consult with neighbours and decide on preferred species. Sometimes this is straight forward (e.g. vacant pits are present, all residents want trees and know what they want) and sometimes it is more complex (pits have to be found via scanning in which case a scanner is loaned to residents for a period of time so they can search, and there may be conflicting opinions on tree presence and species) - so each case is approached accordingly.
2) Residents can bypass the assembly process and make a personal contribution. If residents take the responsibility of watering the tree for a period of two years the cost is £240, if not the cost is higher as £360 per tree. This route was historically called 'adopt-a-tree'.
3) Bids for external funding are carried out by local community groups who then work in partnership with the council in relation to locating sites and ordering the trees etc . Some groups, such as the Lee Manor Society and the Brockley Society have made contributed to tree planting without seeking external funding.
4) The council applies for monies for national initiatives (e.g. last year lbl successfully bid for trees via the Mayor of London street trees initiative and another will be submitted this year)
In cases 1), 2) and 3) the tree is a contribution as such and not owned by residents as the tree will fall within the council's tree maintenance programme and be the council's responsibility in terms of pruning etc.
Generally existing tree pits can be used.. however all planting sites have to be scanned and/or assessed in relation to:
- underground utility cabling that prohibits planting (there is, unfortunately, a lot of this due to the supplies of gas/water/cable tv/electrics feeding parking meters etc). If streets are devoid of trees it is usually an indicator that planting is not possible.
- Site lines.. planting cannot take place too close to corners/zebra crossings as this can cause a driving hazard to people trying to pull out
- Light infringement - planting between properties, rather than in front of them to reduce impact on light
- The presence of other significant vegetation in gardens adjacent to the pavement - trees and significantly large shrubbery compete for light/water etc so should not be planted close together
- Parking associated issues: the presence of crossovers prohibits planting.
- The presence of lamp posts, notice posts, bollards, electrical boxes, parking meters etc
- Rear garden access doors at the bottom of side alleys which cannot be blocked
If you approach your assembly and monies are available then please liaise with myself and we can take things forward.
I am enclosing species and watering information which may prove useful prior to any discussions you may have with neighbours who are interested too.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Foraud
Services Co-ordinator Green Scene
____________________________________________
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your email. I will digest the information and discuss with the community to see what we can do.
In the meantime, your reasoning for the work on the tree seems a little vague, I would appreciate some education on this. Can you give me more information on what was wrong with the tree and why it had to be worked on at midnight (of all times), to my knowledge it wasn't burning down, dying or suffering from rot of any kind. Also the late night work work resulted in a lot of sleep disturbance in the area and personally for my daughter and consequently my wife and I, which to be honest is not good enough.
Thanks,
James
____________________________________________
Dear Mr Arnott
I am sorry for any inconvenience.
Emergency phone calls relating to trees can be taken at any time day or night and the council will respond to inspect and carry out necessary works. In this case a large bough had split out of the tree and contractors were instructed to do whatever works were necessary to make the situation safe.
We will not be removing this tree as it should resprout - it may not look as good as it did previously - however it could be considered for replacement at some point in the future.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Foraud
Services Co-ordinator
____________________________________________
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for the information. Sounds like extremely desperate measures for a split bough on a small tree on a quiet residential road, occupying an area where there is enough space to walk around it! Call me cynical but to me it feels as though there was a greater motive for the excessive pruning. I am hoping the tree will re-sprout, hey I'll only have to wait 10 years before its back to its former glory. Heres hoping its not the only tree left on the street by then.
Had inspected the tree yourself? As services co-ordinator are you the person making the calls on what tree meets what fate?
Regards,
James
____________________________________________
Dear Mr Arnott
Green scene has a number of different departments and part of my role is to facilitate information and assist in several ways with many different types of enquiries.
Within this I work alongside the tree officers however I do not order the felling of trees - please be assured that all works carried out to trees are necessary - either due to health and safety, or as part of the ongoing maintenance programme - and works orders are raised by the tree officers directly.
Regards
Sarah Foraud
____________________________________________
Hi Sarah.
Ok, thanks for the information and your time on this matter. Heres hoping for a greener Sydenham in future.
Regards,
James
____________________________________________
So, our options are obviously, pay more for extra trees on our streets, out of your own pockets (as funding is slim) and we will still have the right to cut them down when we want.
"Green Scene. Working for a browner, more concrete future for your street."
I hope, whoever did (if anyone actually did) phone in the split bough, is happy with the results!
-
WeatherGirl
- Posts: 34
- Joined: 31 Mar 2012 13:19
Re: IT DEFIES ALL LOGIC!
Ah yes. I heard this noise (difficult not to) from the other end of Fairlawn. We assumed that perhaps the council had realised that the tree was actually a portal to hell and that's why the emergency midnight work had been undertaken.
Re: IT DEFIES ALL LOGIC!
As a person dealing with lots of trees I am surprised no one has mentioned what species of tree this is.
It may look bad but most indigenous species have amazing powers of recuperation, I regularly pollard trees to what resembles a telegraph pole but in a couple of years its all some back; its a recognised method of tree management especially in urban areas.
Normally done when out of leaf.
Can't comment on the bizarre midnight pruning but £250 quids seems to me to be a bit steep for a tree that could be bought for under £50 from a trade tree nursery such as Hilliers in Hampshire; A stump grinder can be hired but for myself I wouldn't put a new tree in the same hole; A couple bits of plastic drainpipe set down upright in the hole handle the watering.
It may look bad but most indigenous species have amazing powers of recuperation, I regularly pollard trees to what resembles a telegraph pole but in a couple of years its all some back; its a recognised method of tree management especially in urban areas.
Normally done when out of leaf.
Can't comment on the bizarre midnight pruning but £250 quids seems to me to be a bit steep for a tree that could be bought for under £50 from a trade tree nursery such as Hilliers in Hampshire; A stump grinder can be hired but for myself I wouldn't put a new tree in the same hole; A couple bits of plastic drainpipe set down upright in the hole handle the watering.
Re: IT DEFIES ALL LOGIC!
Have just watched a beautiful Rowan tree be butchered by Bromley council on Byne Rd.... Gorgeous red berries all gone and looking autumnal. There was absolutely no need for this, not obstructing anything and certainly the wrong time of year. Have complained to the council.
Sue
Sue