The tree has been sealed off after it became the centre of a dispute between the council and the Haringey Tree Protectors.
Both parties are returning to court today following their case being adjourned yesterday.
The activist group had been occupying the tree for nearly a year. The council said last April it would be felled.
In a statement to City News, Haringey council said they “have exercised the authority granted by the court order by taking physical possession of the tree to deter and prevent illegal occupation”.
“We appreciate that some disturbance and inconvenience may have been caused by this action, but we hope residents will understand the necessity of this work, and to do so unimpeded. We will make every effort to keep further disruption to a minimum”.
The council said it would fell the tree after two nearby houses claimed they would take legal action.
Haringey council “are responsible for approximately 40,000 trees in the borough, and, in the vast majority of cases, only remove trees that are either dead, diseased or dying”.
“However, there are occasionally times, such as the one on Oakfield Road, where a tree needs to be removed because of its likely contribution to subsidence to adjoining homes”.
The council are facing multiple subsidence claims from houses near the tree. These are claims that relate to damage of the property caused by a sinking of the ground.
The Haringey Tree Protectors
The Haringey Tree Protectors say they are “a group of local people concerned about protecting trees” in their urban environment.
In a tweet, the activists claimed that the council were imprisoning the tree.
Sobering film by barrister @paulpowlesland shocked at the war on nature here in N. London from @haringeycouncil as well as the waste of taxpayers’ £ to imprison this tree from residents trying to save it. @allianz are pressuring to fell nesting season @guardianeco @BarryCaffrey https://t.co/bxoEZsslX0
— Haringey Tree Protectors (@JustPlaneNews) March 13, 2023
Giovanna Yotsey from Haringey Tree Protectors says this example “shows that homeowners aren’t protected by the council”.
Local resident Gordon Hutchinson said that the tree has become a focal point of the community. “It’s a meeting point for the community now. Its created a huge level of public awareness of mature trees”.
