Now that the trees on Chestnut Avenue have been felled and
replaced with a new avenue of small-leafed limes I want to explain why I think
the outcome is the best possible for Tooting Common. Green space is very important in our large
city and we are lucky in Wandsworth to have so much of it on our doorstep. Managing these spaces for current users and
protecting it for future generations are important tasks for the Council.
The Avenue
Chestnut Avenue was a beautiful feature of Tooting Common which
had been cherished by locals for over a hundred years. It is generally accepted that some of these
trees had succumbed to disease; some had already fallen down and it is likely
that at the very least the others would need serious remedial work or felling
in order to prevent danger to the public.
It is possible that not all of the trees would have been affected by the
disease and could have survived as wonderful specimens for another generation. It is equally possible that the disease could
have spread. Either way I think it is
accepted that the character of the avenue was changing.
This process of caring for, clearing and replanting trees
would lead eventually from a formal, uniform feature to a less formal, more random
array of fewer but nevertheless fine trees. Many
who have commented on the Council’s actions have no doubt contemplated this
outcome and would have been happy with a more naturalistic appearance in order
to save those trees that might have been saved.
I respect this viewpoint and note the many contributions from notable
tree experts who recommended this course of action. I don’t want to dispute their views as I am
not nearly as knowledgeable as them. The
point is that this course of action would not have maintained an avenue.
The Heritage Lottery Fund and the Council took the view that
clearing all the trees in order to plant new, healthy trees that will form a
uniform avenue, resistant to disease, would be the best way of preserving the
feature for future generations. Those
who accept the naturalistic outcome will never agree that this was the right
thing to do and I understand that.
However, I feel that making a sacrifice of our present enjoyment of a
dwindling resource that was Chestnut Avenue in order to create a wonderful
feature for the future was a worthwhile sacrifice to make. It is so rare, nowadays, for truly long-term
investments of this nature to be made.
The Victorians did this all the time knowing that what they planted
would not fully be enjoyed in their lifetimes.
Chestnut Avenue itself is one such example. They cleared away an Elizabethan avenue of
oak trees which was no doubt in decline in order to create the avenue we have
enjoyed. We thank them for it and don’t
recall any objections that may have been made at the time. I strongly hope and believe that future
locals will feel this way about the new avenue.
Why now?
There is an argument that replanting could have been
deferred until the natural lives of all the trees on the avenue had
passed. That would only have been
possible if the funding to plant a new avenue could be guaranteed at some
unspecified time in the future. Of
course this isn’t possible. We have been
extremely lucky to have a grant available just when it was needed. On that basis it was the sensible option to
take the money and fix the problem now.
I make no apologies for supporting this prudent decision. That is how Wandsworth Council gets best
value for residents’ money.
The politics
I don’t wish to rake over the process by which we arrived at
this point. A lot of words have already
been written about the petition; the disputed consultation; the switch from
support to opposition by Labour councillors.
It was apparent to me that many felt the Council wasn’t listening but I
and my colleagues must have read nearly every article and tweet on this very
sensitive issue. I do understand the
fact that opponents were motivated more by the desire to preserve what we had
than by the legacy we will now endow.
Finally
Whilst we may have disagreed, I believe
both sides were motivated by a wish for what is best for Tooting Common. There are many other reasons that the Council
took the decision it did but I hope I have explained adequately why I support
the action taken. I also hope that as
the new avenue takes shape locals will come to love it.
