Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Liz Wright on March 27, 2014 at 8:16

Many thanks for your support Alan.  I heard you speak at BHORA meeting last year in holding Enfield to account re school places.  Someone has just moved into Brownlow Road and when I spoke to her she was unable to find school places for her two children.  I seem to remember that at BHORA someone spoke about action that was being taken to try to address Enfield's lack of  provision of school places in this part of the borough ...but that is probably another thread. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alan Sitkin on March 27, 2014 at 9:03

Liz, you should see the frightening population growth figures being used by the GLA in its London  Plan (discussed at recent Enfield Council meeting) They are predicting close to 4000 increase in Enfield's population every year for the next 20 years. Works roughly out to extra form for each ward - every year. Disturbing. Enfield's Labour Administration has been working its socks off to compensate for previous regime's inaction and had some success  (one extra form Bowes, future expansion Garfield, hopefully new Grovelands School) but unfortunately it looks like we need more. With the Government's benefits cap, it's not a question of whether newcomers are coming to SW Enfield - they're already here, living in overcrowded flats. So where do the kids go to school? There is zero room to grow at Bowes Primary. Walker might have some room but the Council ran up against some rejectionist attitudes. Above all, for years the community has been skirting around discussions relating to the possibility of a through school on the Broomfield site. It's more topical than ever, especially since everyone will be consulting about the renovation of Ritz Parade soon. Obviously in an ideal world I'd be delighted not to have to consider a through school at Broomfield. But with these population growth numbers, it doesn't look like we can sit on the fence. So what to do? Will be organising some big consultations about Ritz Parade in near future. Preventing McDonalds from going there was just one tiny step. The bigger question is what is going there...As you say, this thread just took a big step away from trees! Although the green space behind Broomfield does kind of touch upon that theme...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Liz Wright on April 2, 2014 at 13:50

Hi Alan - many thanks for your reply - much appreciated.  I think the school situation adds to concerns about the plans for more building near NC which has I believe been accepted.

The article by George Monbiot in the Guardian yesterday 'So which bit of the world are you prepared to lose?' raises some interesting issues re response to climate change - in earlier articles I think he has written about the importance of trees in the management of the environment

So... back to trees!  I checked out the discussion on your website re BR and in posting my reply became stuck - so I have posted everything on here.

First a confession - 

We are guilty of replacing our front garden with a driveway after about 15 years of dicing with death with our two young children in crossing BR - but after having two cars written off - we gave in.

Post from website...

Friday, 28 March 2014

Getting trees on Brownlow

 

Dear Councillor xx

 

Tree Planting in Brownlow Road N11

 

Thank you for your email dated 19 March 2014 regarding the above.

 

Following enquiries from both residents and Councillors in previous years, the area Arboricultural Officer surveyed Brownlow Road to identify suitability of the road for new and replacement tree planting, however he reported that there are no suitable sites to accommodate new trees within this road.

 

On receipt of this latest enquiry our Senior Arboricultural Officer surveyed Brownlow Road on 26 March 2014 and confirmed that he agrees with his colleague’s findings. However, he found four locations where we could squeeze new trees in, if pressured, although utilising these would still be subject to utility searches.

 

These sites would not normally be utilised as they are borderline acceptable and will result in sight line obstructions to vehicles exiting their properties into Brownlow Road, and will further become reduced as the trees mature and the trunks increase in size. Furthermore, as the trees mature the dropped kerb ramps adjacent to these locations will become displaced and will likely result in insurance claims and possible loss of trees at a relatively young age.

 

Therefore, it may be useful to arrange a site meeting and to walk along both sides of the road and then discuss the suitability of each location individually. This is an option that has already been offered to one of Councillor xx's constituents.

 

If we do agree to utilise any sites, this could then be programmed in time for next winter’s planting programme.

 

I hope this answers your enquiry.

 

Yours sincerely

Stephen Skinner

 

Head of Highway Services

 

Posted by * at 16:50

 

 

 

 

 I have just tried to post the response below.  I was asked to provide a profile and became technologically stuck at this stage.  Are you able to assist?

 

This is my reply

 

Many thanks for giving your attention to this.  While I recognise that there are some constraints in planting new trees I have carried out a survey of BR and would like to explore my suggestions for new sites for planting.  Perhaps we could arrange a mutually convenient time for a site meeting.  I hope that you will agree that it is important to balance environmental concerns regarding pollution on busy main roads with the existing provision of trees.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alan Sitkin on April 2, 2014 at 20:39

Hi again Liz. Yasemin and I were out on Brownlow today with officers to scout tree planting spots. Found upwards of six. Constraints = regulatory distance from lighting, bus stops and driveways. I think funding will be in the 2014-2015 budget.

Would like more trees but we do what we can!

Permalink Reply by Liz Wright on April 9, 2014 at 10:04

I have now heard from the senior arboricultural officer in Enfield.  Seven more trees are to be planted in BR next autumn.  I will be meeting with Andy on April 29th to explore the tree planting policy in Enfield further. Thanks so much for your support with this Alan - this is a very positive outcome for all Enfield residents who walk down the road.

I was inspired by the initial interest of the arboriculturalist in Haringey when I posted about this.  He contributed those wonderful photographs of trees at the side of French main roads and a wealth of information about tree planting. Many many thanks to you for responding to my first forays into the tree planting  in such a positive way - it gave me the confidence to continue to explore the issue. My actions were also inspired by  people on this site - particularly the MR group who have worked so tirelessly to address the need for this road to be developed.

Maybe the next thing to tackle is tree planting around Bounds Green station? 

Permalink Reply by Tree Warden on April 9, 2014 at 13:02

(Can't reply to you post as it's nested too deep, so here goes adding a new one.)

Wonderful news Liz and many congrats in growing the treescape!

I'm not an arboriculturalist, just an ordinary resident who likes trees - been helping run the Tree Wardens group here (HaringeyTreeWardens.org.uk - join our newsletter!).

I do it because it really is rewarding to help the trees grow and I get to meet wonderful people, some of whom are real experts - they can recognise what type of tree it is just by looking, and immediately notice anything unusual.  Also the Council Officers and employees who are involved with trees are some of the nicest people I have met in local government - they should get more credit!

Another reason I enjoy learning is that we all walk down streets all the time and before getting involved I didn't even notice what I was passing by.

On our street Tree walk last Sunday for instance we walked down a wonderful street full of cherry trees in bloom - Japan is famous for their cherry trees apparently, but why travel :)

Street trees are usually bought from nurseries (Barcham.co.uk is one of the very biggest, in Cambridgeshire, with loads of photos of the street trees they sell, which you can probably see on your own street).

Many trees are delivered to the parks departments (who do the planting in the street) on a 'rootstock' - a tree that acts as a host to better grow the 'scion' tree.   I noticed with apple trees for instance, that, when you buy them, you first have to choose a rootstock - the rootstock decides the ultimate height of the scion.  

In other words, if you buy an apple tree on a 'dwarf' rootstock, when the apple tree becomes mature, it will not  end up higher than your chin. You could choose a semi-dwarf rootstock to end up with a taller tree etc

Anywho, we passed many cherry trees on Sunday. Stephen took a photo of one that shows that sometimes rootstocks themselves can grow just as vigorously as the intended scion:

Can't resist a plug for our next walk on Sunday June 1st at 3pm in Bounds Green: http://www.bowesandbounds.org/events/haringey-tree-wardens-street-t...

If you need any thing we have, it's yours - congrats again and keep doing what you're doing!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Liz Wright on May 19, 2014 at 8:45

A few weeks ago I was very fortunate to be able to spend some time discussing tree planting and maintenance in Enfield with Andy Robinson – senior arboriculturalist and Paul Zepler.  Although the prospects for new planting look positive, I realised how little I understood about the process of planting and maintaining trees and just how complex this is.

While I am always thrilled when I see that a new tree has been planted I began to realise that some Enfield residents – for various reasons – may want trees to be removed.  However Enfield’s strategy is to preserve trees.  Residents who want trees to be removed will find themselves paying both for the cost of the tree removal and paying for a replacement tree which requires a two year after care programme.

I began to realise the huge number of factors that need to be taken into account when deciding where to plant a new tree.  On busy main roads with drop down kerbs I discovered that it can be difficult finding places to plant trees safely as the trees are competing with all kinds of street furniture.  Also consideration has to be given to the any possible underground obstacles.

I think I may not be alone in the shock I felt when I saw that the lime trees on my road had been severely cut back through a process known as pollarding. Interestingly I came across a somewhat indignant email about this on this site from a couple of years ago (8/8/2012)  However through discussion  I began to understand that this was to try to save them as they are susceptible to fungal attacks.  This was not an act of destruction but an attempt to ensure that Enfield’s trees are kept alive.  I discovered that lime trees are very thirsty and this can be a problem if they suck too much water from the ground as it can cause subsidence. 

 There are many decisions that have to be made when planting new trees – such as diversity – so that if disease strikes one type of tree then they will not all be wiped out.  As with everything finance is always a consideration and Enfield use trees that are low maintenance.

 

One of the most exciting projects is a web site that is being developed which will list the different species of trees that can be found in Enfield and their location.  It was great to spend time talking with Andy and Paul and to understand just how enthusiastic and knowledgeable they are when discussing trees with an Enfield resident.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Alan Sitkin on May 19, 2014 at 20:49

Very reasonable post Liz, thanks. Our tree guy in Enfield, Andy, gets a lot of stick but in reality his decisions (for instance, to remove a tree because it suffers from fungal blight) are based on sound considerations, ie he only removes trees when he has to. Our policy as a Labour Council is the more trees the better. Clearly your party agrees. Good. As I've posted before, there is more that unites us than separates us.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next ›
• Page