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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Huge, old tree felled at TCCA on Green Lanes so that "the drive will be less bumpy"

Yesterday, the biggest tree on Green Lanes for blocks was felled. As you can see from the photo, it is just within the property of the Turkish  Cypriot Community Association. When I asked the tree surgeons why they were doing it, they said the TCCA ordered it "so the drive will be less bumpy".

I tried to contact the TCCA but nobody answered the phones. I tried various other organisations but the felling conveniently happened on Easter Monday when nobody was around. 

This tree had been here for decades. For decades, birds had nested in it. For decades, people had parked on this "bumpy" drive without any trouble. Green Lanes is horrendously polluted. We - humans, birds and other wildlife - desperately need our trees. Trees give a sense of perspective, a sense of longevity, a sense that life is bigger than us. How, at this pandemic time, when half the world is realising the value of nature again, could the TCCA do this?

NOTE: too late, I realised one can get a tree preservation order. This tree, with its size, and its visibility from a public place, would have qualified for one. I never imagined anyone would simply chop it down. If you have big old trees near you, I suggest following this link to preserve them: https://www.haringey.gov.uk/environment-and-waste/nature-and-conser...

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 there are apparently still people who are so ignorant they fail to understand the nature and  importance of trees -their beauty, their importance for the environment, clean air, birds, insects the Turkish Cypriot Association should be ashamed of their vandalism in felling the largest,oldest tree in Green Lanes

The TCCA forecourt had a second, smaller tree until three years ago - I'd think it in fact went to give an extra parking space, like this tree. 

Easter is a bad time for mature trees on Green Lanes - on the morning of Easter Day 2009 the mature trees at the front of the old BDC/Hawes & Curtis building (now the Evergreen development) a bit further south were felled. Even though there were Tree Preservation Orders on them. Full story here. Google StreetView captured them in 2008 if you want a look.

And I'm old enough to recall the demolition of the Firestone Building, a marvellous Art Deco factory on the Great West Road over August bank holiday 1980 because it was about to be proposed as a listed building.

Some good news (though not local sadly): the Carlton pub inn Kilburn which was partially demolished by developers two days before it was due to be listed, was ordered to be rebuilt brick by brick https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/mar/21/rising-from-th...

Part of the TCCA (the restaurant bit - which is what most of the numbers out front are for) are out of business, and we tried for weeks to contact them (we're neighbours and needed access to their garden). Couldn't get hold of them, but eventually managed to see someone by turning up on a Wednesday around 1-2pm when they're running a food bank there - very nice people.

They had a big tree in their back garden which was cut down a couple of years back - there's one still remaining which will hopefully stay.

I would have thought they'd need permission from the council to remove such a significant tree. If they did so without permission I hope they are fined and made to plant some established replacements.

As the tree is on private property, permission is only be needed if it is in a conservation area or has a tree preservation order.  There an interactive map of existing tree preservation orders you can view from the link below

https://www.haringey.gov.uk/map-tree-preservation-orders-tpos-haringey

Hmm, that's interesting - it looks like some roads have been more proactive in protecting 'their' trees. How does one go about applying for one?

Extract from the tree section on the Haringey website.  The tree being felled would seem to tick a lot of these boxes.

If a tree doesn’t have a TPO and you think it should, please contact the planning department.

You must give the reasons why you think a tree needs protecting.

We consider requests against 4 main criteria:

  • the visibility of the tree from a public place
  • the tree's particular importance in terms of its:
    • size
    • form
    • rarity
    • screening value
    • contribution to the character or appearance of a conservation area
  • the tree’s significance in its local surroundings and wider impact on the environment
  • whether the tree could be at risk in the future

It’s not usually necessary to designate TPOs for trees which are under a recognised tree management programme, such as:

  • street trees managed by our tree section
  • woodland managed by the Corporation of London in Highgate Wood

An interesting snapshot of the borough there:

Yes - not only more tree protection orders, but simply a lot more trees!! Gives graphic meaning to the moniker 'leafy'...

Indeed!  Also, you would think, a good indication of where Haringey should be concentrating its tree planting programme.

It is interesting. Can you publish the source link, please.

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