Unreasonable Cut down tree

[Oliva279]

Please can anyone help me,,
there has been huge sycamore tree in our street which has been cut down unreasonably. It is very upsetting. The reason was that it is in the way and damaging fence and also because it has not been planted there. The fence got damaged by the cutters and the fence is only park fence. I have some photos of the tree. London doesn't have that many trees that they can be cut down just like that. I know I can`t bring the tree back but I think people need to pay for doing harm to nature. They should have trimmed it. Do you where can I complain? Thank you

[Dorts]

Originally Posted by Oliva279

Please can anyone help me,,
there has been huge sycamore tree in our street which has been cut down unreasonably. It is very upsetting. The reason was that it is in the way and damaging fence and also because it has not been planted there. The fence got damaged by the cutters and the fence is only park fence. I have some photos of the tree. London doesn't have that many trees that they can be cut down just like that. I know I can`t bring the tree back but I think people need to pay for doing harm to nature. They should have trimmed it. Do you where can I complain? Thank you

The first contact has to be to your local Council, (Environment/Amenities). They will be able to tell you if this tree has bee felled with their permission or not and if it has/had a Tree Preservation Order in place.
Dorts.

[Adam Cheeseman]

If it was growing on Council owned land it is unlikely to have a TPO on it as with most London councils there is a presumption of basic protection unless other circumstances (usually Health and Safety) determine otherwise.

Cheers,

Adam

[fairplay]

Hello Oliva,

Sorry to hear about your 'special' tree, but this is an extremely common problem with Sycamores. They are very successful seed producers and will germinate and grow in the smallest cavity and if not removed in the first couple of years can be very difficult to remove.

Thus you see many cases of Sycamores growing in between metal railings and in some cases 'absorbing' the fence itself. There are some fantastic photos on the WEB showing how the tree (not just Sycamore) has grown around things such as old abandoned bicycles.

It seems in this case, the council were not aware of a potential problem until it was too late, but don't forget, they probably like to see trees as much as anybody else and it could be that they always knew that one day, when it becomes too large, it will have to come down or be cut back drastically.

I would imagine the trunk itself has become so large that it is now causing foundation damage or threatening to, and there is no alternative option.

So, it sounds like this started out as a weed, but was allowed to live to a decent age which brought pleasure (and possibly annoyance !) to nearby residents, but has now outgrown its usefulness.

So just think of the happy days Oliva.

Neil.

EDIT: If enough people feel the same as you do, why not get together and write to the council, and ask if they can find space nearby where a replacement tree could be planted and make it a community affair and everybody will make new friends by being very protective to the new tree.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Oliva279

Please can anyone help me,,
there has been huge sycamore tree in our street which has been cut down unreasonably. It is very upsetting. The reason was that it is in the way and damaging fence and also because it has not been planted there. The fence got damaged by the cutters and the fence is only park fence. I have some photos of the tree. London doesn't have that many trees that they can be cut down just like that. I know I can`t bring the tree back but I think people need to pay for doing harm to nature. They should have trimmed it. Do you where can I complain? Thank you

I hate to say it but little will probably happen. I posted earlier this year about my local council destroying the habitat of a local water vole population. Despite the local paper police and wildlife trust getting involved NOTHING happened apart from a rubbish comment from the rubbish councillor responsible about how they always work with the wildlife trust.

Best of luck though

[Alan Livsey]

Oliva,
You are welcome to take my Sycamores if you like. I have them at the front and back of my house, covering my garden and car, in leaves and seeds daily.
The roots are cracking the pavement, and i worry about falling branches in high winds. Due to birds roosting in the tree, i often discover my car covered in poo!! and i'm fed up trying to keep it clean.
We have informed the council but they dont seem to be in a rush to do anything, pruning etc... Certainly not chopping it down!
A shame i didn't know about Sycamores when i bought the house 16 years ago.
Never mind, bonfire night is just around the corner.

[fairplay]

Originally Posted by Alan Livsey

Oliva,
You are welcome to take my Sycamores if you like. I have them at the front and back of my house, covering my garden and car, in leaves and seeds daily.
The roots are cracking the pavement, and i worry about falling branches in high winds. Due to birds roosting in the tree, i often discover my car covered in poo!! and i'm fed up trying to keep it clean.
We have informed the council but they dont seem to be in a rush to do anything, pruning etc... Certainly not chopping it down!
A shame i didn't know about Sycamores when i bought the house 16 years ago.
Never mind, bonfire night is just around the corner.

Hint - you could consider discretely ring barking it.


Ironically, this post just about sums up the problem with trees such as Sycamore.
Hopefully if the tree is replaced in a suitable location, a more practical tree species will be planted instead.

Neil.

[tigertom]

I have a similar problem with my local housing association has every year there head of landscaping comes round painting big blue X's on trees over last three years they must of cut down at least 300 trees on and around my estate when ever I have complained they say they are to close to Drains or other services which to them is any tree within 12mts of a service.
And they can do what they want on these estates as they own the land.
The local council dos nothing and another thing they have done now for last few years is cut all the hedges so none are above 2+1/2 feet this they say is for health and safety as they say any thing higher is too high for them to safely trim best bit is they use a tractor to trim most of them result no safe nest sights birds to nest in.
When I have pointed this out saying song birds in decline was told well thats a national problem what can we do about that
Is another estate built at same time and design not far from me run by by a different housing association and totally different loads of big trees nice tall thick hedges think maybe its because they do there own landscaping in house and do not use contractors to do it.
And the worst thing they have done is to an oak wood thats serposed to be a wildlife corridor they removed every bit of undergrowth from this wood and mean all of it even every bit of ivy growing on threes now call it the dead wood no birds there now like there use to be all gone again council did not do any thing again saying they own it up to them what they do only thing they can not do there is cut big trees down.
Dont no why but all other greenways as these corridors are called and we have a few of them are manged by woodland trust but not this one

[Oliva279]

Thank you everyone,
bit disappointing that there is nothing I can do. I will try to call council and post them few pictures. I have been living there for over 4 years so probably now is time to move away. Now I can see back of the shops and big pub across the road,,so empty and sad,,it makes me cry to see it...Just to give you idea check it out on google earth maps,,23 Wroughton Terrace

[Billabong Karen]

Gosh Oliva, not sure it's wise to post your address like that. Karen