Forum Topic

300 Hundred Oak Tree..... Gone!

Wow, Acton is Oak Town, not if you live at 79 Gunnersbury Lane where  a 300 year old oak, with a tree protection order was felled.....Ok nothing can be done to bring it back... But:Those guilty should feel the force of the planning laws and be made to pay for the cost of a direct replacement... The fine is a maximum of £20,000 so this should cover a replacement.Please email the planning department... planningenforcement@ealing.gov.uk

Mike Collins ● 4301d34 Comments

Please object to the planning application that has been submitted at the site where the oak tree was damaged:Please act now to prevent it from going ahead - the deadline for comments is 18 August. Every response counts.Simply write to planning@ealing.gov.uk quoting the application reference: PP/2015/2667, 79 Gunnersbury Lane, Acton, W3 8HQ.Reasons for objection:Unacceptable over-development of the site and a loss of open space;Detrimental impact on the character of the MHP Conservation Area, as this is a high profile entry point.Bulky, out of scale development with the neighbouring properties - the block would be at least 1 storey higher than other buildings and set back by only 1.2 meters from the (very narrow) pavement.Current shortage of parking spaces in the area, and on Avenue Road in particular, would be further exacerbated.Demolition of a more sympathetic to the area bungalow and a removal of the illegally damaged oak tree.Residents in the immediate proximity would also suffer from ongoing light pollution coming from communal glass stairwells, loss of light to the North and East of the development and noise pollution from rooftop terraces.Despite the timing of this application, at the height of summer holidays, we need to come out in numbers and object to this poorly designed proposal. Please encourage your neighbours and other adult members of your households to respond ASAP.

Annie Trevaskis ● 4049d

and it shouldn't just be replacements but there should be some arrangements put in place to look after the trees once planted....  or you could end up with a lot of new dead trees....  just as there look to be up by Ealing Common.Everybody seems to try to get away with doing the minimum instead of working to achieve the full solution.  Teamwork and more thought needed - and not just box ticking.

Philippa Bond ● 4051d

As noted the fine will be in the region of £20,000, on a development of millions it's not very much. The shame here was this was a magnificent street tree, and we can't afford to lose street trees which are so important for softening the landscape and making it a more pleasant place to live and walk. Developers...should be made to plant replacements of mature status in the same position, or on their boundary...and yes I hope this compromises their designs, as they felled the oak purely for greed. So let's make sure this is part of the application... This is something that Ealing can force on the developers.

Mike Collins ● 4056d

Try tweeting our Dear Leader @juliangbell. And his environment sidekick @bassammahfouz That usually gets some sort of reaction. Even if not a new tree....although in our street it did get a new tree, but that may have been only because the Amey bin lorry managed to knock over its  60 year old predecessor and they felt a bit bad about that.

Peter Millman ● 4057d

I rest my case.

Brian May ● 4058d

the owner was interviewed under the  Police and Criminal Evidence Act  last December but we are still waiting to hear what action has/ is going to be taken.

Anna Umbima ● 4058d

Did the Council ever respond to the complaints abot a TPO tree being chopped down without permission by the owner/developer?

Peter Millman ● 4058d

Apologies, I wasn't clear. I would never discourage Objecting/Complaining, I will be doing so myself.My point is that the real culprit here is Ealing Borough Council and how they are perceived by Developers as being weak and "friendly", which is the root cause of much distress and disatisfaction throughout Ealing/Acton. Why else would these Developers think they can get away with this felling?

Brian May ● 4058d

It is worth the try - we managed to get similar block on the car park refused in 2013.  Please object to its size, scale and its lack of design response to a conservation area. And, of course, how chopping down a protected tree shows a cynical disregard for planning law.

Anna Umbima ● 4058d

This has only happened because Developers see Ealing Council as enthusiastically encouraging any development, anywhere. Enforcement on this will be feeble, if indeed anything is done at all

Brian May ● 4058d

Sneakily slipped in during the holiday season in the hope we won't notice. If you look at the plans it's actually 4 storeys with light wells and roof gardens on top.It also says it's 79 Gunnersbury Lane although it goes well into Avenue Road which is the start of a conservation area.  Please object.http://gis.ealing.gov.uk/webreports/planning/planning_weekly_Detail_results.asp?txtPlanRefNo=PP/2015/2667

Anna Umbima ● 4058d

well surprise surprise, the felling of the 300 Year Oak (Gunnersbury Rd, next to Halfords), was not an accident, now we have a PLANNING APPLICATION for a 3-storey blocks of flats, which the Oak Tree was inconveniently in the way of.Such a cynical exercise..it was all part of plan to develop the space. This application needs to be blocked. The tree stump is still there and has a TPO.Another out-of-town developer, destroying our green spaces.

Mike Collins ● 4058d

As a complainant, I've now had a couple of emails from planning enforcement and there seems to have been progress: site visit this week and PACE interviews next week.Of course, if charges result, we won't hear anything else.

Sara Nathan ● 4289d

I spotted  the guys chopping it down. They denied it was a protected tree until I showed them the evidence on the Council website and they stopped. This was way back in  August, I reported it on the day  so the council have had plenty of time to act.

Anna Umbima ● 4297d

The email is correct, think it's just a standard response. It's just keeping it rolling. What's frightening is this is a developer....purchased the property, job number one...remove the tree under a pretext! We need to get a positive solution, 10 mature oaks... Thanks

Mike Collins ● 4298d

Is there any duty on the planning enforcers to let those of us who have complained formally know what the result is.All you get is a bounceback message

Sara Nathan ● 4298d

Yes, it's the bungalow on the corner. You can see the tree "through the ages" here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/49428126@N00/6907842064and here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/49428126@N00/10547704926and there's another pic of it here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/49428126@N00/6850185677/in/photolist-It wasn't the most beautifully shaped tree, having clearly been chopped about in the past, but it's still not right if it was felled illegally, and I was sorry when I saw it had gone.

Vin Miles ● 4298d

Excellent response forum on the Council. See front page. I  think we will all be interested to hear from the Developer.

Maire Lowe ● 4298d

As I no longer live in London I went to Google Earth to see the tree. Is itv the house on the corner?

David P Archer ● 4298d

Ealing based developer, RF Business Limited, bought the property in June (as per the Land Registry), and the first thing they did was cut the Oak down - developer's greed at its finest.They had better be planting 10 mature Oaks across Acton  parks + the full £20k fine - nothing else will do. And I hope any planning permissions they put forward are rejected for abusing the planning law.Please contact planningenforcement@ealing.gov.uk for illegally felled mature oak at 79 Gunnersbury Lane.

Tatiana Collins ● 4298d

Have also sent one

Nina Battleday ● 4299d

Done!  Sent an email to the council planning department asking why they allowed the tree to be felled.

Ireen Esmann ● 4300d

"It's a shocking abuse of the system, they applied for pollarding and They have felled it.The case has has been reported to planning, and is under investigation, this needs the weight of public opinion to get it moving...."is all the reason that was given for this "mindless vandalism" Mary, all I am saying is perhaps rather than wasting councillors time , planning departments time with emails from all and sundry , is to ask the question of the tree officer as they are the officers that can make decisions for felling a tree - for example if the trunk had rotted through and was in danger of falling on cars , children etc If the tree was then felled without permission then invoke the emails from everybody to jam up the system

Ian Silversides ● 4300d

Ian I think the reasons have been explained earlier in the thread. No one is talking about hanging but you should see that an unrepairable mistake has been made. The point of writing to the Council is to ask whose mistake it was? Hope you are convinced enough yourself to pen a line it two to the address Mike has given.

Maire Lowe ● 4300d

surely you should find out the reason it was felled before condemning it as mindless destruction -----surely the person to question is the councils tree officer , before hanging the "perpetrators" from the nearest remaining oak tree

Ian Silversides ● 4300d

I've just written too, but I think you should get all three of your local councillors on the case. Yvonne Johnson is especially efficient, I don't know the other two. It is a sad fact that most councils, (not just Ealing) attach more importance to a quety from a Councillor than they do to an individual. Do your have a residents association, neighbourhood watch group, anything like that? Ask them to write formally as well. The more attention is given to the tree, the more likely something will be done. If you have none of the above, a group e mail or petition signed by as many neighbours as possible will have the same effect. Hand written notes from older residents are very effective. I think we are all so very sorry to hear of this vandalism. That fact that it was indifference and neglect rather than deliberate distruction is not much consolation.

Maire Lowe ● 4300d

Thanks, I hope so... They have the mechanism for it, so let's hope they use it. I think £20,000 should buy a few mature oaks which can be planted where we can appreciate them, and also provide some legacy for Oak Town

Mike Collins ● 4301d

Have written - don't suppose it will make any difference though

Sara Nathan ● 4301d

Completely agree, these old Giants need care and protection, I have emailed the planning department, and would ask those equally appalled and concerned to do likewise.Ref: oak tree 79 Gunnersbury AveEmail:  planningenforcement@ealing.gov.uk

Mike Collins ● 4301d

It's a shocking abuse of the system, they applied for pollarding and They have felled it.The case has has been reported to planning, and is under investigation, this needs the weight of public opinion to get it moving....

Mike Collins ● 4301d

You don't pollard oak trees. They need expert care. I think you should make a formal complaint. Use the Council complaint procedures to make sure they investigate properly.

Maire Lowe ● 4301d

Well, they alleged they were pollarding it, when the reality is they felled a healthy mature and magnificent oak. So, please email planning to make them make amends.planningenforcement@ealing.gov.uk

Mike Collins ● 4301d

Can you publish what happened and why? The external contractors would not have moved without an order. Was it a mistake? If so who made it? If it was the contractor then certainly they should pay.

Maire Lowe ● 4301d

If it had a tree protection order, why was it chopped down?Was it healthy?

Sara Nathan ● 4301d