Concerns have been raised that trees in Kingston may be at risk of being destroyed due to building works and a lack of government conservation.
Local independent ecologist, Alison Fure, who campaigns for the conservation of trees in Kingston, told the Kingston Courier the devastating impact planning development is having on trees.
She said that materials left on the sites of trees is greatly affecting their wellbeing and more should be done by the council and locals to prevent this.
She added: “Until we say that it is a problem that trees are struggling, we are not going to look at any of the alternatives seriously,
“There are over 100 lines of willow, oak, horse Chesnutt and sycamores [on Cambridge Road Estate] that are having to cope with the odd situation of having 13 story buildings surrounding them,
“These trees should not be surrounded by hoardings of buildings materials being stored on top of them or be deprived of the normal elements they’re used to.”
Fure said the council’s efforts to replant trees have not been effective in tackling the issue as not enough aftercare is taken in helping the trees grow and reach their full size.
She said all but two of the trees planted by the council have died.
“If you’re going to plant a tree you’ve got to break the ground properly, mix in soil improver and do proper aftercare which is unaffordable with a professional company,
“You’ve got to have local people reach an agreement that they’re going to look after the tree, the tree strategy needs to be more robust particularly on naturalising trees and not relying on replanting,” Fure added.
Petition handed in to protect trees
Concerns follow as the Woodland Trust (WT), the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, handed in a petition to Downing Street on 18 November calling for more protection of veteran trees.
The petition gained over 100,000 signatures following the WT’s Living Legends campaign, which had huge public backing, giving it the green light for parliamentary discussion.
Trust campaigns manager Adele Benson told the Kingston Courier that handing in the petition was a “momentous occasion”, with National Tree Week beginning on 23 November.
She said: “At the moment we have tree preservation orders, but they can only be based on amenity values, so that’s predominantly on how they look and can only be requested by people who live locally,
“Where there’s a tree that people love locally and plans to cut it down come to fruition, people oppose them. People care about these trees, and it means an immense amount to them”
Benson told the Kingston Courier that the WT wants resourcing for land managers which can look like education or funding for works to be done to trees.
She cited the Kings Ely Plane tree that needed over £100,00 work done to it, but the landowners couldn’t afford it.
“Certainly, things like root damage when trampled on by cattle or humans can easily be fixed by managing the canopies or by putting a fence around it,
“There needs to be a role played in helping the public understand and making sure that work can be done,” she said.
Locals back conservation efforts to protect trees
Kingston locals echoed these views and praised the WT’s decision to raise more awareness for the conservation of trees.
According to a YouGov poll, before the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree, 83% of people in Britain support legally protected heritage status for ancient trees.
After the tree was felled, the poll showed that 88% of people voted in favour of more legal protection for heritage trees in Britain.
Marie-Louise Oldrey, a Cobham resident, said the conservation of trees should be a government priority.
Jane Ritchley, a Hinchley Wood resident and one of the WT’s 500,000 members, said the government should do more to protect trees in an “increasingly urbanised county”.
She added: “Our beautiful oak trees support countless species of wildlife as well as helping in the fight against climate change,
“Newly planted trees tend to be more, often short-lived, never reaching the majestic sizes, awesome shapes and characterful living of ancient ones.”
CJ Rawlinson, a Hinchley Wood resident, said tree culling [the process of purposely removing certain trees] would reduce the risk of invasive species and suggested replanting disease-free replacements.
“Many of our neighbourhood were affected with nasty rashes and breathing issues,” he said. “I lost my sight for 3 weeks from a probable hair in my right eye.”
The Living Legends campaign is calling for legislation to protect the oldest and most important trees and policy for increased support for people to care for them.
Benson said that it is “horrific” that heritage trees, part of Britain’s iconic countryside, are neglected yet the recipe of Stilton Cheese is legally protected.
