Residents  of Clapham Park were shocked to find last week that a large number of mature trees were being marked for imminent felling on Clapham Park Estate and Clarence Avenue at the junction with the A205. Without any explanation or forewarning. Residents know and love these trees - not to mention the air quality, cooling effect and all the wildlife that depend on their large tree canopies.

Many of us are part of Clarence Avenue Growers, a local group committed to involving residents in improving local biodiversity and air quality, greening the area, growing more food and doing what we can to help reduce global warming emissions.

MTVH - Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing have now partnered with Countryside Partnerships PLC to continue the regeneration project which has now lasted for 20 years!!! When we saw so many trees marked for felling we wrote to MTVH about our concerns and received a short reply which failed to address our demands.  We have replied with clear demands but heard nothing more.

So on Friday 25th February, when we spotted the tree felling had commenced we intervened, and although several large trees were felled we managed to stop more coming down. We intervened again today Monday 28th to prevent further felling and will continue to do so until there is some agreement about our demands (please see below).

The almost total lack of consultation and communication with MTVH over the years about their regeneration activities has been contemptuous.  They have shown scant interest or understanding in what makes a community. To cut down all these important mature trees without explanation, warning or ceremony is the sort of thing we have come, sadly to expect.

Lambeth Council declared a Climate Emergency on 19th January 2019 but then Lambeth Planning agreed the latest tranche of development in 2019 - which included the removal of about 40 mature trees (some more than 100 years old) just in this section of the project. These are just part of the 347 mature trees in total that will be felled as part of the regeneration project. Although there are promises of many new trees being planted we have pointed out that they will in no way compensate for the loss of these mature trees. There clearly needs to be a re-think of all the tree felling plans given that we are in a Climate Emergency.

Our demands are:

1. Taking account of the declared climate and biodiversity emergencies in Lambeth we want a halt to all tree felling to enable a detailed review of the existing plans to see how many more trees can be saved through changes in the planned construction. This review must involve local people and community groups, 

2. The review must also include a professional assessment of the loss of embodied and sequestered carbon and the loss in tree canopy from the felling of these mature trees - covering both losses to date and planned.  Plus a comparison with how much tree canopy cover and carbon sequestration will be created by the new planting and how quickly losses from felling can be compensated.  An assessment of the biodiversity losses is also vital.

3. Maybe not all the trees can be saved by this review, but what is essential to recover any trust in MVTH/Countryside Partnerships PLC is a much better and regular communication and consultation system to be agreed between MTVH/Countryside and local people and community groups about all current and future plans.  This must involve serious listening and preparedness to make changes.