On Sunday, campaigners from the Haringey Tree Protectors gathered around the north London plane tree which has been the centre of a battle between insurers, loss adjusters, house owners, Haringey Council, and the local tree protectors.
A week after the bewildering decision to employ a 24-hour security team and build a protective tower of scaffolding surrounded by high fences, the council have stopped wasting public money, withdrawn their unidentified henchmen (many of whom refused to show any SIA identification as required by law), and dismantled their barricades.
On Sunday, around 20 supporters gathered in spring sunshine at Oakfield Road to hear the latest news round-up, and mark a possible final goodbye. For more than a year the tree has been protected by a dogged campaign, but last week’s court hearing felt like it might be the end of the road.
In a short speech, a visitor from the Essex Holt Farm Oak Campaign spoke about how struggles like this bring people together, and even though the tree may be lost, more and more are hearing about the importance of trees, networking nationally and growing in numbers, to challenge councils, insurers and developers, who are still placing too little value on mature trees.
Four members of the Red Rebel Brigade brought an other-worldly presence to the occasion, moving slowly around and posing with the tree.
Tomorrow was looking like the end of the road for the tree (which has affectionately been named ‘Platinus’), but we’ve just learnt that the home owner HAS made an application for permission to appeal, and so the council will have to wait again until at least 17th April before making any move.
