Dear supporter,
We have received so much support in the struggle to save the 150 year old  Plane Tree known as the Happy Man Tree in London N4. Including  you when you signed our petition. But the tree is not saved. Work is starting imminently on the site.
We know that if we can save this tree, thousands of other trees will be saved from destruction by Berkeley Homes and Hackney Council in their future developments.  Please help us by acting now:
 
At the moment,  senior management at Berkeley Homes and the Mayor of Hackney are ignoring you, and the 19,000 other people who signed this petition so far. The claim your support doesn’t count. Please show them that they are incorrect.
 
Berkeley Homes and the Mayor of Hackney are sensitive to bad publicity. Both claim they have good community relations and  environmental records. In this case, neither of these are true.  However, If they change their mind about the fate of the Happy Man Tree, they can demonstrate that  they listen to the community AND show they can be more sensitive to  environmental issues in the future. This is where you can help.
 
What can you do?
 
1)    If you live locally in London and you think you might want to support  us a little more on the ground, please text 07925 152 278  adding  your name and we will be in touch with you
 
2)    On your social media tell everyone  how bad Hackney Council and Berkeley homes look to you at the moment especially around their poor environmental policy of cutting down mature trees like the Happy Man Tree and hundreds like it,   and ignoring the local community’s protests as they are doing  here. You can use this link https://tinyurl.com/y8mk47cn  as a summary of our arguments.
 
3)    Write to Berkeley Homes directly. Berkeley Homes want to sell homes, and it will worry them considerably if they believe people will be less likely to do so.  We suggest  this text to go into e mails. Please feel free to change it and personalise it in any way you wish.  It could also be published as an open letter on the  appropriate social media. Address it directly to the  Chairman  Tony Pidgely of Berkeley Homes. His e mail address is: Tony.pidgely@berkeleygroup.co.uk  
Dear Mr Pidgely
The threat to the Happy Man Tree London N4
I understand that you pride yourself on your good relationships with the local community and your environmental record. However I have been following the story of the Happy Man Tree. It appears to me from recent press coverage and social media that you have not engaged properly with the local community over the fate of this tree and instead have chosen to override their wishes. In addition your arguments to destroy a mature 150 year old tree  are not compatible with an organisation that views the environment respectfully.
Your attempts to justify this with mitigation do not in anyway compensate for the loss of this tree.
As a result I can no longer trust Berkeley Homes in these critical two areas of activity. I will inform people of my views drawing upon the story of the Happy Man Tree as my evidence As a consequence it is unlikely that I will ever consider buying one of your homes. I will also be looking to object to  any future development plans you may have wherever they may be  using the examples here as evidence that you cannot be trusted.
However if you listened to us and agreed to halt all plans to fell the tree, things would change. I would suggest this would put you in a very positive light to all those who currently believe you to be a developer more interested in profit than people and the environment. It would definitely  change my opinion. I therefore beg you to reconsider your current plans.
 
Many thanks for taking the time to read this letter

Yours  sincerely
 
4)    Write to the Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville.  Again we suggest the following  text but please feel free to amend. His e mail address is philip.glanville@hackney.gov.uk
 
Dear Mr Glanville,

The threat to the Happy Man Tree London N4

I understand that you pride yourself on your good relationships with the local community and your environmental record. However I have been following the story of the Happy Man Tree. It appears to me from recent press coverage and social media that you have not engaged properly with the local community over the fate of this tree and instead have chosen to override their wishes. In addition your arguments to destroy a mature 150 year old tree  are not compatible with a council that views the environment respectfully.
Your attempts to justify this with mitigation do not in anyway compensate for the loss of this tree.
Al of this seems to be the opposite to the many announcements about how green Hackney Council is and how  serious  you claim to be in meeting the Climate Emergency you yourselves have announced.
However if you listen to us and agree to halt all plans to fell the tree things would change. I would suggest this act would put you in a very positive light to all those who currently believe you to be a council that is not at heart interested inlocal people,  the environment and the ecological emergency we are facing. It would certainly change my current views.
 I therefore beg you to reconsider your plans
Many thanks for taking the time to read this letter
Yours Sincerely
 
5)    Please encourage everyone to keep signing the petition www.change.org/savethehappymantree

6)    Follow us
Facebook www.facebook.com/thehappymantree
twitter @happymantree
Instagram www.instagram.com/thehappymantree
www.thehappymantree.org
#noticethistree
 
 
Thank you so much for being part of this struggle to save this tree. If we can do it, we know thousands of others will also be saved from redevelopment by councils and builders everywhere.  We have added a short film about a local resident. Please share widely.