The workers of the Enfield Council discovered the tree, which measured 6.1 meters around its trunk, surrounded by its branches cut in the Whitewebbs Park on April 3.
The council is looking for legal actions against Toby Carvery, directed by Mitchells & Butlers, who said that his experts of trees evaluated the oak as dying and a risk of security for the public.
Since then, Park Conservation Group has launched a petition The Guardians of Whitewebbs, which has so far received 2,883 signatures, to “avoid similar losses in the park.”
The guardians said the tree was “one of the only 60 equally old English oak trees (Quercus robur) in all London.”
The petition added: “We are demanding that the counter completely investigate this tragic incident. We are also urgently requesting the protection of the rest of the park’s trees, which includes other ancient and veteran trees.
“Since the oak was in the council park, private contractors would have needed permission for the counter’s works.”
Whitewebbs guardians want the Council to commission an independent investigation into what happened,
“This is an appropriate reaction to the loss of an important tree nationwide,” they added.
The council leader, Cllr Ergin Erbil, told this article that Toby Carvery had “broken the terms of the lease” by not looking for advice on the condition of the tree.
“Our team of experts checked the tree in December 2024 and discovered that it was healthy and did not posed any risk for neighboring parking and its users,” he said.
“As owner of the Earth, we believe that this action has broken the terms of the lease, requesting the painting of Toby’s car to Mintain and protects the existing landscape.
“They do not seem to have obtained this. The value of the oak was extremely high and the work has left a few possibilities of regeneration.”
The CEO of Mitchells & Butlers, Phil Urban, did not comment on the violation when this document approached.
However, in a letter to the residents, he said that he was “very unfortunate” for all the anger and the discomfort that the incident had caused.
To sign the request, go to www.change.org/p/justice-for
