Complain they were not told why tree was cut down

Upset residents have demanded to know why Hounslow Council felled a large tree in the grounds of their flat complex without telling them.

They say that the “magnificent” tree which was taller than their three-storey building was felled last Wednesday at Montgomery Court for no obvious reason.

“Our Tenants Association was not informed of this decision  in advance,” said one woman, who claimed that when she phoned Hounslow Council she received a vague reply that it was due to blocking out light, and another response to her second call, that it was diseased. However, she said the tree appeared to be healthy.

“A lot of people are very upset. I’ve lived here all my life and I loved that tree” she said.

The flat complex is on Sutton Court Road.

“ I do think the Council owe you the courtesy of telling you why they’re cutting a tree down. It’s actually quite an emotive thing, it’s like losing an old friend", she said.

The tree was growing on the inner lawns of the estate. Work was carried out last Wednesday and Thursday.

The issue of trees being cut down without prior notification of residents has come up a number of times in Chiswick. Councillors at next Monday's (October 15) meeting of the Chiswick Area Forum are set to discuss the removal of street trees and proposals for planting new ones in Chiswick.

The list of trees approved for felling does include an Acer tree (Maple) adjacent to Grove Park Bridge which is listed as dying.( see table at end of article).

“We could understand if it had been diseased, but nobody has told us the reason even though we have a tenants association” said the resident. She said the tree appeared to be in good health.

102 trees in the three wards in Chiswick under Hounslow Council are due to be removed. Another 64 have already been felled. Residents in Oxford Gardens earlier this year launched a petition for felled trees to be replaced after a seemingly healthy cherry tree was removed from their road without any notification.

Hounslow Council have stated that there is no money in their budget for the replacement of trees but cash from the Mayor of London's Street Tree planting fund has been allocated to the borough for planting.

This will be spent mainly in Brentford and Feltham as the Council is aiming to equalise the number of trees in the various areas of the Borough. The report states, " The spread of street trees is uneven across the Borough with over three times more in the Chiswick area as compared with the rest of the borough."

The report states that 357 trees were planted in the West Area of the borough and 302 in Brentford during the two years to March 2011. There is no comparable number for Chiswick although 25 trees were planted in the area in the year to March 2012. These were mainly funded by Section 106 money which is paid by developers as a condition of being granted planning permission. Given the number of removals there seems to be a high possibility that the number of trees is falling.

There are currently over 12,000 trees in the borough. The Council has a tree sponsorship scheme for residents who want to sponsor a street tree in their area. It costs £412 including the cost of the tree, planting, and maintenance for three years.

Trees in Chiswick Programmed for Removal

October 13, 2012