The Government told the House of Lords it is “looking at the recommendations” in The Tree Council and Forest Research review of protections of important trees, in response to an oral question tabled by Baroness Tyler of Enfield.
Baroness Enfield, who consulted The Tree Council prior to bringing the question, asked: “My Lords, how can a much-loved 500 year-old oak tree at Whitewebbs Park in Enfield, which I know well, be felled at one stroke leading to a public outcry, when it comes less than two years after the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree?
“Does this not show that current legal protections, even for nationally significant trees, are totally inadequate?”
Speaking on behalf of the Government, Defra Parliamentary Under Secretary, Baroness Hayman of Ullock, said: “Clearly so many people were shocked by the felling of this tree, and I think, coming on the back of what happened to the tree at Sycamore Gap, as someone who lives in Cumbria, as the noble lord opposite does, it was really horrifying, absolutely horrifying, and I think it has opened a nerve in the country about how important it is that our really ancient trees are properly protected.
“So, what the Government is actually doing at the moment, is we are looking at the recommendations that are in a report from The Tree Council and Forest Research.
Image courtesy of Woodland Trust
“This is regarding measures that are needed to improve the protections for ancient, veteran and culturally important trees.
“We aren’t in a position to outline what we are actually going to do, because we are in the process of going through those recommendations, but we are aware that these are great concerns.”
The debate came in the wake of the felling of a 500-year-old oak in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, close to the site of a Toby Carvery restaurant. The restaurant chain’s owners have admitted taking action against the tree, which they say was in response to health and safety concerns following a professional assessment of its health.
The felling came in the same week The Tree Council and Forest Research published their assessment of existing protections for important trees – commissioned by Defra following the dramatic taking down of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in 2023 – revealing “significant legal gaps”.
Image courtesy of Woodland Trust
The report recommends:
- Engaging key stakeholders to better protect important trees, within 12 months
- Developing an ‘action plan’ for important trees
- Improving legal protections
- Developing a public and private funding framework to support owners and managers
- Enhancing data on current and future important trees
- Appointing a “Special Representative” for important trees at political level
- Leading positive engagement and exploring international knowledge exchange
- Improving skills and capacity for management and protection of important trees
Concluding the debate, Baroness Hayman said: “We’re having a number of conversations in Defra as to our priority legislation going forward and clearly these areas are going to be part of that conversation.”
You can watch the full debate (around ten minutes) here. To read The Tree Council and Forest Research report, Protecting trees of high social, cultural and environmental value, please visit www.treecouncil.org.uk/science-and-research/valuing-and-protecting-important-trees-outside-woodlands/
