Chiswick looks set to become less leafy as Council replants elsewhere

A report presented to a recent Area Committee has revealed details of trees in Chiswick that have been selected for felling (see table at end of article).

102 trees in the three wards in Chiswick under Hounslow Council are due to be removed. Another 64 have already been felled.

Residents in Oxford Gardens earlier this year launched a petition for felled trees to be replaced after a seemingly healthy cherry tree was removed from their road without any notification.

Hounslow Council have stated that there is no money in their budget for the replacement of trees but cash from the Mayor of London's Street Tree planting fund has been allocated to the borough for planting.

This will be spent mainly in Brentford and Feltham as the Council is aiming to equalise the number of trees in the various areas of the Borough. The report states, " The spread of street trees is uneven across the Borough with over three times more in the Chiswick area as compared with the rest of the borough."

ChiswickW4.com have asked the Council to provide the number of tree plantings and removals in each area of the borough over the last two years and a projection for the current year but we have yet to receive a reply.

The report states that 357 trees were planted in the West Area of the borough and 302 in Brentford during the two years to March 2011. There is no comparable number for Chiswick although 25 trees were planted in the area in the year to March 2012. These were mainly funded by Section 106 money which is paid by developers as a condition of being granted planning permission. Given the number of removals there seems to be a high possibility that the number of trees is falling.

Cllr. John Todd, who represents Chiswick Homefields ward said, "The Last Conservative administration planted 1000 trees throughout Hounslow. The Chiswick Area Forum S106 sub committee are endeavouring to obtain the necessary funding to replace as many of the trees as possible. We know Chiswick residents endorse this strategy."

There are currently over 12,000 trees in the borough. The Council has a tree sponsorship scheme for residents who want to sponsor a street tree in their area. It costs £412 including the cost of the tree, planting, and maintenance for three years.

Trees in Chiswick Programmed for Removal

August 9, 2012