Locals say tree pollarding meant ‘direct hot sunlight’ was streaming into houses and there was ‘no shade’ at bus stops, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
Residents have slammed Waltham Forest Council for cutting trees bare during the summer heatwave.
Waltham Forest Council is currently cutting leaves and branches off trees – a process known as pollarding – in a bid to keep them healthy and growing.
However, locals fear the process could harm the trees, while depriving their neighbourhoods of shade and natural beauty.
Leyton resident Melissa Nisbett said there was a “real lack of understanding” of what humans and trees need to survive, while others said it showed a lack of “joined-up thinking”.
Melissa told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the pollarding meant “direct hot sunlight” was streaming into houses and there was “no shade” at bus stops.
She said: “The community should have access to shade and have somewhere to stand waiting for a bus or sit under in a park.
“[Pollarding] during a heatwave is inexplicable. It’s pretty appalling.”
She also expressed concern about the future health of the trees. While pruning can be carried out in the summer, drought and exposure to the heat can slow regrowth and put the tree at risk of disease. In severe cases, the tree can die.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, the UK’s leading gardening charity, the best time to pollard and prune trees is during their dormant season – typically late winter.
Fellow resident Emma Woodcock, who lives in Park Road, said: “What we object to is not the pollarding, but the time of year.”
She called the pollarding “quite brutal and unnecessary,” especially at a time of year when birds and insects relied on shrubbery for both shade and food.
She added that locals had also not heard from their local councillors when asked, which was “frustrating” and “upsetting”.
Contractors trim the borough’s trees every four years, on behalf of the council, and have done so since 2010.
Deputy council leader Clyde Loakes said: “For many tree species, our dense urban neighbourhoods are often a challenging and even hostile environment, hence the need for a regular programme of care.”
He continued: “While pruning, which we carry out once every four years where necessary, may result in a temporary reduction in shade and habitat, it is essential to keep the tree in a safe condition and promote growth.”
Victoria Dove, a local resident and allotment keeper, said it had also taken an aesthetic toll on the neighbourhoods.
She said the trees were “so beautiful,” especially when Leyton can “feel a little overlooked and forgotten” in favour of other borough “hotspots”.
Leaving the trees “bald,” she added, “negates all the hard work we as citizens put in”. Locals maintain ‘guerilla’ flowerbeds, which support wildlife, and have supported ‘bee-friendly’ streets and similar initiatives.
She said it felt like “contradictory messaging” from the town hall.
Emma said residents were “trying to beautify things” and the pollarding “just feels really brutal and unnecessary”. She added: “Looking at a tree gives me a sense of joy. Looking at a stumpy old branch is fine in winter.”
Cllr Loakes said: “We share residents’ love of trees and recognise the range of benefits they bring to local people and wildlife.
“There are currently well over 55,000 trees in Waltham Forest – the most we’ve ever had – and we’re proud that year on year we are adding to that number.”
The council’s pollarding operation complies with the Countryside and Wildlife Act 1981.
“Contrary to popular belief, this act does not prevent works on trees during certain months of the year but instead insists on extra stringent criteria and responsibilities on those undertaking the work, including checks for active nesting birds and other wildlife,” Cllr Loakes said.
“These checks are carried out in advance of the work, with additional checks on the day before work starts. If a nest is seen, the crews will not carry out the work and will now place a notice on the tree to indicate the reason why it has been left.”
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