Hello all,
following the recent news about Chestnut Avenue in Tooting Common I have found a picture of the area dated 1818: I just loved it!
There has been lots of rumors recently in South London about Chestnut Avenue trees cutting.
Wandsworth council decided to eradicate secular trees in Tooting Common area because some of them were sick and fungus damaged their trunks. For instance, last winter, due to the strong winds, one tree has fallen and due to this episode the council started to consider the health and safety of the residents. When experts have been called for an opinion they suggested to replace the whole avenue in order to prevent any further accidents.
Local residents strongly opposed to the council decision and started a petition in order to stop this massacre from happening; they even wrote to the major of London, mr Sadiq Khan to have this decision overturned but in vain.
There are also economic controversity behind this issue.
From one side, such huge trees need high maintanance like pruning and pollarding and these treatments are expensive. On the other side, it is still costy to remove them and plant new trees. In any case, these funds come from the taxes of the residents and some citizens felt it was unfair not being involved in the problem.
It is interesting to mention that a software called 'I-tree' calculated the yearly values of street trees in term of ecosystem services. Among the benefits there are flood alleviation, cooling, pollutant removal and carbon dioxite reduction for an equivalent of £133m of benefits each year provided only by London’s trees. This software highlight also the not monetary benefits that green spaces bring to residents such as improved mental health of locals and ecological diversity.
The 12th of September 2017 the trees cutting along Chestnut Avenue started. It has been removed a total of 51 old horse chestnuts, assessed by experts as "in decline and approaching the end of their natural file span". They have been replaced with 64 semi-mature small leafed lime trees. The experts affirmed: "These trees are already nearly 20 feet tall and will ensure a healthy and flourishing tree-lined avenue".<https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/11/price-urban-trees-chainsaw-chestnuts-london-elm-sheffield>
I am a trees lover and I usually support the conservation but this time I have looked at the problem objectively and I have to say that if it is proved a tree is not in good health any longer and could create harm to the people around it, the right decision is to remove it and replace with a new plant. This is the circle of life, and the old generations need to allow the new ones to grown.
Please find the full articles in the following links:
Wandsworth council decided to eradicate secular trees in Tooting Common area because some of them were sick and fungus damaged their trunks. For instance, last winter, due to the strong winds, one tree has fallen and due to this episode the council started to consider the health and safety of the residents. When experts have been called for an opinion they suggested to replace the whole avenue in order to prevent any further accidents.
Local residents strongly opposed to the council decision and started a petition in order to stop this massacre from happening; they even wrote to the major of London, mr Sadiq Khan to have this decision overturned but in vain.
There are also economic controversity behind this issue.
From one side, such huge trees need high maintanance like pruning and pollarding and these treatments are expensive. On the other side, it is still costy to remove them and plant new trees. In any case, these funds come from the taxes of the residents and some citizens felt it was unfair not being involved in the problem.
It is interesting to mention that a software called 'I-tree' calculated the yearly values of street trees in term of ecosystem services. Among the benefits there are flood alleviation, cooling, pollutant removal and carbon dioxite reduction for an equivalent of £133m of benefits each year provided only by London’s trees. This software highlight also the not monetary benefits that green spaces bring to residents such as improved mental health of locals and ecological diversity.
The 12th of September 2017 the trees cutting along Chestnut Avenue started. It has been removed a total of 51 old horse chestnuts, assessed by experts as "in decline and approaching the end of their natural file span". They have been replaced with 64 semi-mature small leafed lime trees. The experts affirmed: "These trees are already nearly 20 feet tall and will ensure a healthy and flourishing tree-lined avenue".<https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/11/price-urban-trees-chainsaw-chestnuts-london-elm-sheffield>
I am a trees lover and I usually support the conservation but this time I have looked at the problem objectively and I have to say that if it is proved a tree is not in good health any longer and could create harm to the people around it, the right decision is to remove it and replace with a new plant. This is the circle of life, and the old generations need to allow the new ones to grown.
Please find the full articles in the following links:
https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/11/price-urban-trees-chainsaw-chestnuts-london-elm-sheffield
http://becandbalhamlabour.org/category/tooting-bec-and-balham/
http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/15515649.Council_s_plans_to_axe_150_year_old_trees_over_next_six_months_sparks_massive_backlash/
http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/14166/new_avenue_of_trees_being_planted_on_tooting_common
