Forum Topic

Ealing Council Aim to Prosecute over Tree  Vandalism

I read with interest the thoughts of the council and the police over the felling of a tree in South Ealing. Have the council considered the recent felling of a big mature tree on the north side of the Uxbridge Road in Hanwell value say £18,000 on the boundary of the Children's Centre? Someone said it had root disease unspecified.A near neighbour across the Uxbridge Road valued at £25,000 is to meet a similar fate this time through the planning committee that granted planning permission for the Peugeot site along with permission to fell this tree. Have the developers paid this money to Ealing? Would it go some way to helping save Hanwell Library?The apparent inconsistency of all this makes me weep,weep,weep.

Arthur Breens ● 2504d8 Comments

Editor thanks for the news item. The tree expert can't name the trees problems correctly.For humans Homo sapiens is our species name. Notice the position of the capital and the lower case for the specific name. So our council experts have spelled not one parasite/infection incorrectly but both. It certainly brings into question their competence as tree experts. Further if such awful and dangerous infectious organisms live in the trees in question should they not be removed completely from site and burned rather than left for all to see and potentially infecting other trees. I smell a Rattus species unspecified.

Arthur Breens ● 2495d

Some trees are gained by grants from The Mayor of London or other Govt depts or charities.  I don't know if there is a choice or if whatever is sent is what has to be accepted.  Saplings are more vulnerable but there is the point that they may establish a better root system.  We should question as you see much larger (and more expensive) trees being planted in private gardens and Chelsea etc.  It definitely makes a difference if you can involve the local community so they can water if necessary and "look out" for them knowing who to contact should there be a problem.

Philippa Bond ● 2503d

Don't saplings require very careful watering nurturing in their early years?  Many of these young saplings die for want of water.  That must cause more expense than buying and planting a more established tree surely?

Jennifer Selig ● 2504d

There was a row of cherry trees at the edge of the Homebase site in Acton which the Council Planners allowed to be cut down.  Planting saplimgs on completion of a project should not be considered to be an acceptable alternative..  Builders have a variety of sizes of equipment that they can use on site and there should not be so much extra favour given to the developers/builders.  Nearby residents had been assured that the cherry trees would remain.

Philippa Bond ● 2504d

I too looked at the stump. It looked healthy as far as any stump might look amputated from its upper portion. Of course someone from the parks department will put in an entry explaining the very nature of the infection with the appropriate latin name. Yes while I was never able to identify any disease in the stump of this tree I did make an estimate at the value of both trees. This was based on position, size and species growth rate compared to the tree in South Ealing important but off the beaten track.

Arthur Breens ● 2504d

The Forestry Commission, among others, have a valuation formula that councils use to calculate the replacement cost and 'community asset value'.

N V Brooks ● 2504d

A little bit off topic but how are these trees valued?  Certainly nobody would buy one at those values.

Philip Coe ● 2504d

If you had looked at the stump that was left on the tree by the Children's Centre it had a rotten core and there was clear signs of some disease.

N V Brooks ● 2504d