22 Feb 2024
Prospective developers have hacked down mature trees on the Verulam Estate as part of a bid to build on pockets of green space.
Saturday’s destruction of trees in Windridge Close comes despite two years of calls for SADC to impose Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) on the trees, and has provoked fury amidst the local community.
Vast swathes of what was previously thought to be public land were sold across the Verulam Estate in June 2021.
These green lungs were crucial elements in the original plan for the estate, providing openness – both visually and spatially – as an integral part of the character of the Verulam area.
They included one lot around Mayne Avenue, Samian Gate, Flavian Close, Icknield Close, Glenum Close, Hadrian Close, Lindum Place, Augustus Close, Claudian Place, Antonine Gate and Ermine Close, and a second in the vicinity of Windridge Close, Westfields, Deva Close, Dubrae Close, Rowlatt Drive, Mayne Avenue and Corinium Gate.
Ownership of the land should have been formerly adopted as highways land and transferred to St Albans council around 50 years ago, but this was not carried out, meaning these pockets of green space are up for grabs by developers.
Resident Jenny Rose is one of many people who has been fighting prospective planning permissions and tree felling ever since.
She fumed: “At the start of January on a patch of land next to 24 Lindum Place we witnessed tree felling by an individual with no safety equipment and complete disregard for public safety. The police attended and requested the felling to stop due to the public footpaths and lack of safety, signage and barriers.
“Two days later the new owner of the land returned to continue the destruction by pulling a tree down with a rope attached to his car! We have been left with the unsightly piles of trees now for over five weeks.
“I emailed our MP Daisy Cooper for her to come and witness the destruction and to find out why more TPOs were not given and to advise the residents what is being done. Her admin responded in a nutshell saying it’s not her remit! Council leader Cllr Chris White has also never responded.
“As you can imagine, the residents were again completely disheartened when tree surgeons turned up on Saturday to fell three trees behind an ‘illegally erected’ fence on the corner of Windridge Close. We waited all morning for the TPO paperwork to be rushed through but alas, no one was available to sign the paperwork!
“Three more trees destroyed and an illegal fence still standing since Nov 2022! SADC knew what was happening on this land and have had two years to sort TPOs.
“Our council has been far too slow, uncommunicative and to be honest a complete embarrassment. So much for supporting constituents. Lies and lip service more like!”
Timothy Beecroft, chair of Verulam Residents Association, responded to the recent vandalism: “The destruction of these much-loved trees has only added to the frustration and anger felt across the Verulam Estate and beyond at what is happening to our green spaces.
“The delay in getting Tree Protection Orders more widely used across the estate has been an issue for far too long. And now we are starting to see the sad consequences of that failure.
“National guidance on Tree Protection Orders says that they can be served not just on individual trees, but also on groups of trees if their removal or changes to them would have a significant impact on the local environment and its enjoyment by the public.
“How can anybody sensibly argue that what we are seeing now isn’t having a significant impact?
“Many of the threatened trees were, we know, planted in the late 1970s to commemorate and celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee. What is happening now seems a very shabby way of remembering her and her life of public service. Surely we can do better than this?”
Ward councillor Edgar Hill said: “I share residents’ anger and concern at the events of [Saturday]. Ward councillors have been called away from their families over Christmas, at weekends, and at the most inconvenient hours, times purposely selected by those concerned to cause maximum inconvenience.
”Whilst attending on Saturday, ward councillors were able to get the council’s enforcement officer and tree officers to attend the site and we were able to delay work whilst fighting to establish if we could get a TPO in place. Sadly, our efforts were in vain. Possibly given more time, we could have prevented at least one of the trees from being felled.
“Ward councilors have called in all the relevant planning applications so, they may be scrutinized by committee and thus far no applications to build have been approved. A full review of the estate has been promised prioritizing TPOs for trees that qualify, and remain vulnerable.
“We continue to stress the urgency of the situation, whilst working within the bounds of the legalities of the privately owned sites.”
Chris Traill, SADC strategic director for community and place delivery said: “If works are being carried out on private land, as in this case, the district council will not usually be involved. However, we had a team of people working on this matter over the weekend at various points, including two officers on site, as we could see that it was of concern to local residents, and we wanted to help if we had the powers to do so.
“But the council only has legal powers to protect trees on private land if there are Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) in place giving them statutory protection. Unfortunately, none of the trees on that parcel of land were suitable for such orders.
“It is important to note that only trees deemed to have a high public amenity value can be considered for protection by a TPO. They must also be in good condition, have a life expectancy of 20+ years and ideally not be growing in a location where overly repetitive pruning is required to clear structures or a road.
“We are reviewing other parcels of land on the Verulam Estate to see if there are trees there that would be suitable for TPOs. There is also a continuing investigation by our Enforcement Team in relation to the erection of the fence.
“The council does not have legal powers to stop works on private land. If works are being carried out by a company or contractor and the necessary health and safety measures are not being followed, that is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.”
