NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2019 TREES POLICY AIMS TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT London became the world’s at our AGM by Greenwich Park first National Park City in July, Manager Graham Dear (see page 3). with celebrations to mark the We may not be able to prevent tree disease and this increases the need event launched by the Mayor to be vigilant. How can the Society of London, who highlighted his and its members respond? commitment to tree planting one of our tree volunteers, Bill THE SOCIETY’S RESPONSE Eldridge, reports. At the end of last year we appealed for volunteers to help review The Society believes its members planning applications covering are very supportive of the benefits trees across the conservation area. of trees. We are very fortunate to There was a good response and we live in a green area of London. objections, as appears appropriate. are now better placed than ever to We also aim to challenge poor Few people would argue against consider tree applications. the benefits that trees bring - at the quality tree applications where Our main objective is to support aesthetic level, through improving this makes sense. We have already the councils’ Tree and Enforcement air quality by trapping particulates, had some success, including Officers in ensuring that any taking in CO2 and releasing oxygen, encouraging tree officers to make applications to fell or maintain trees and by providing diverse habitats on-site visits for preserved trees. are reasonable and proportionate. across the food chain. House extensions and erecting We are able to undertake regular But our tree heritage is under substantial buildings in gardens reviews of applications, visit threat from development and the frequently require the destruction of locations, make suggestions for increasing risks of diseases - a trees, the protection of those that alternative approaches or raise significant new issue highlighted are to remain and/or replanting of HIGHLIGHTS AGM report on trees Packed events list Railway issues Page 3 Page 4 Page 8 Page 2 | TREE PRESERVATION ANNUAL MEETING | Page 3 new trees to compensate for the loss. Applications do highlight where this can be used. not always include adequate obligatory documentation GREENWICH PaRK HORSE CHEStnut AVEnuE UNDER THREat Most of our focus is on tree applications under the and there is also the issue of enforcement. normal planning process and this does not usually The majestic avenue of horse chestnut trees Eventually the avenue will be replanted with sweet Conditioned protection measures may not be put in include street trees, which vary throughout the chestnuts and the oriental plane tree Minaret. place before work starts, and trees shown in the plans conservation area. Some streets have none while leading from the Blackheath Gate of Greenwich as “to remain” are occasionally destroyed. The tree others are well-endowed. This patchy coverage makes Park to the famous vista across London is under However, the sweet chestnuts have also had their officers cannot regularly attend building sites so we the situation in gardens even more important in threat, the Society’s packed Annual General problems. A soil fungal infection affecting their roots, and our members can help with vigilance in this area. Blackheath. Meeting heard in June. bark damage by squirrels and, most recently, a sharp Most applications are, however, for work short of increase in chestnut gall wasps have all taken their toll. felling where sometimes we can suggest an alternative, WHAT CAN SOCIETY MEMBERS DO? Park Manager Graham Dear, in a presentation The grub of the gall wasp causes abnormal growths, following the formal AGM business, outlined the called galls, which can seriously weaken trees. less drastic approach. We would urge members to promote the message of challenges the park is facing from disease damaging the need to think carefully before having tree works “It feels like an onslaught at the moment, it’s quite Overall there is a lack of robust data. Our sense is that the trees, the huge increase in visitor numbers and carried out. We should all ask ourselves, will my actions depressing,” said Graham, seen below pointing to a gradual diminution of tree cover in the conservation climate pressures. area is occurring as mature trees are removed. add to the quality and volume of tree cover or not? the tree problems during an interview he gave to the Members are invited to contact the Society if they have Newsletter after the AGM. While developers may be responsible for the most eye- concerns about risks to any trees in the conservation catching impact on trees, individual homeowners are Sustainability is a key theme of the plans for Greenwich area, including risks from development actions, or also considerable contributors to the reduction of tree Park. As well as restoring some of the historic vistas ideas for more tree planting. cover in the conservation area. and the 17th century landscape as originally planned, Members can make a difference: please spread the Graham said. The park needs to plan for the increasing LEWISHAM & GREENWICH COUNCILS - message to your neighbours to consider carefully population pressures in south and east London and the RESOURCING POWERS before applying to fell trees, unless they are dangerous future projections of large increases in visitor numbers. or definitely causing damage to buildings. One way to One factor contributing to the pressure on trees is For example, rubbish removal has already had to be achieve the green environment we all want is to stop the much-reduced scale of council resources focussed radically rethought. Since the recent Blue Planet TV chopping down trees. on tree applications. For both councils there is only programme, awareness of the disposal of plastics one full or part-time tree officer to cover the whole has hit the headlines, but it might not be generally borough.The resources used to be more substantial; appreciated that the sheer volume of packaging is also we can play a significant role in encouraging and causing huge problems. supporting their work. Not long ago, picnickers in the park would have taken Another factor is the smaller set of powers available their lunchboxes away, but now they buy sandwiches to the council - compared to those for the built and need somewhere to discard the wrappings. environment - to protect trees. They also only have The small Greenwich Park bins can’t cope, they narrow powers available to require replanting or to overflow and are labour-intensive to empty. So about enforce it where the applicant volunteers to replant. The photos show a sick sycamore tree (front page), a 140 small bins have been replaced by some 80 wheelie diseased conker tree leaf and a dead chestnut tree by One important power they do have is to apply Tree bins. As a result capacity has been more than doubled, the Concert Halls, a fine Blackheath landmark Preservation Orders to important trees; we aim to less litter escapes and there are now fewer vehicles driving around the park collecting rubbish. GAIL’S REARRANGES PAVEMEnt CHAIRS AT SOCIETY REQUEST Plastic water bottles and coffee cups are the other main litter culprits. The Park’s own catering outlets Gail’s Bakery in the centre of Blackheath Village He said the Royal Parks Trustees have approved plans are trialling recyclable coffee cups but they have so far to match fund the £5m being sought from the Heritage has rearranged the tables and chairs on the found nothing acceptable. Renovations are planned for Lottery Fund. If this is successful, which should be two Victorian drinking fountains, and borehole water pavement outside its shop following a Society known by the end of the year, then the park, with some will be used for the toilets and to fill the boating lake, request, after members raised the issue at our additional fundraising, will have over £10m to invest in which currently uses tap water. annual meeting in June. its “Greenwich Park Revealed” new conservation project. Visitors to the park might also see more long grass in Manager Maria Kasidopoulou said Gail’s wanted to The horse chestnut avenue, replanted around 1948, future. The mowing regime is being revised and less of support the community. It therefore made the change would normally be expected to have a lifespan of 120 the park will be having a weekly or twice-weekly cut in to leave space for people with mobility difficulties or to 140 years, but the trees are progressively dying summer. with children in buggies. There are now two rows of after half that time. Out of about 300 trees, more than There will be more meadows, cut just once a year, three tables instead of three rows of two. She said its half are now infected with the fatal “bleeding canker” encouraging invertebrates and a greater diversity of license allows it to have 24 chairs and six tables up to disease, and when 40% of the avenue has gone all the bird species. five metres from the shop. trees will have to be removed. All the resolutions were passed at the Annual General Concerns had been raised that people waiting to cross The disease is widespread in the UK and continental Meeting and there were no changes to the committee the road at the traffic lights opposite the station were Europe and the trees are no longer being propagated this year. causing an obstruction, particularly affecting people commercially or planted, the AGM heard. Within 30 with mobility problems. The photos opposite show the years there could be no more horse chestnuts in the Diane Summers layout before the change (above) and afterwards. UK, and collecting conkers could be a thing of the past.