Deputy Leader statement: Oakfield Road
Cllr Mike Hakata, Deputy Leader of Haringey Council has issued a statement over the potential tree felling in Oakfield Road:
“We appreciate and understand the strength of feeling that the felling of trees invokes among residents in our borough.
“I like everyone else do not want to see trees removed and I have made a point of meeting with the residents on Oakfield Road on a number of occasions – I was there today to again talk through the issues.
“We are responsible for approximately 40,000 trees in the borough and, in the vast majority of cases, we only remove trees that are either dead, diseased or dying. I have explained to residents that we remain committed to planting additional trees and want to involve them in our tree planting programme moving forward.
“As things stand, we have 199 insurance claims and are putting every measure in place to prioritise the maintenance of those trees and, wherever and whenever possible, avoid having to remove them.
“Over the last year, we have increased our tree maintenance budget and continue to expand our programme to ensure the impact on our environment remains as low as possible for our residents.
“However, there are occasionally times – such as the one on Oakfield Road – where a tree needs to be removed owing to the subsidence and structural damage it is causing to adjoining homes. We have been fighting to save this tree since the original claim was made in 2015. But the technical evidence we have received supports the requirement for this tree to be removed as it is causing significant damage to the residents’ homes.
“If the tree remains and these adjoining homes are underpinned, we will be facing a high-value insurance claim in excess of £400,000. That cost would need to be met by the Council rather than an insurance company or any other organisation.
“This is simply beyond our budgetary control and would have significant impact on other key service areas. As a council, we are fighting to get this law changed and will continue to fight for our residents. In the meantime, we will look to provide a more suitable tree at this location once the existing tree is removed – and plant additional trees to ensure that we at least match the overall environmental benefit that the removed tree would otherwise bring.”
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