Wornington Trees – for immediate release – Thurs 2nd December 2021
KENSINGTON RESIDENTS TURN OUT TO FEED XR ACTIVISTS
Residents in North Kensington are turning out to support Extinction Rebellion campaigners lodged in treetops in a local park. Neighbours visited with food, hot drinks, blankets, and essential supplies as ‘Tree Protectors’ began a fourth night braving rain and below-freezing temperatures. The activists moved in on Monday morning as developers Catalyst Housing prepared to fell eight mature trees in Athlone Gardens, Portobello Road, to make way for an access road.
Local Olivia von Halle was in the park as activists arrived on site. She said, “When they jumped up into the trees, I was so bowled over. These trees are things that I enjoy every day and to see these guys who care passionately for all trees and are prepared to be cold, wet, and uncomfortable to try to save these trees and help our wider community and be a part of trying to save the planet was amazing. The first thing I did was to go and buy them coffee and breakfast. Since then, the local community have been coming back regularly to try to make their lives a little easier up there”.
Resident Clare Slaney said, “I am very happy to make hot soup for these brave people. But I won’t need to cook so much soup now because local cafés and restaurants are excited to provision them. It’s so heart-warming to be part of a wonderful community with social housing tenants, private home owners and businesses all working for the same aim”.
Following the destruction of more than 250 mature trees as part of the ‘Portobello Square’ development, local community group Wornington Trees are campaigning to retain as many trees as possible.
Wornington Trees spokesperson Jessica Jones said, “Ten years ago we had more than three hundred mature trees in our neighbourhood. Catalyst have felled most of them and replanting has been minimal. These trees take decades to grow. We simply cannot afford to lose any more. We believe that at least two of these eight trees could very easily be incorporated into curb extensions in the proposed new road. This would not only save two much-loved trees but could also provide needed infrastructure for a Sustainable Urban Drainage System. We have repeatedly asked Catalyst to open a dialogue with residents to look at the possibility of making very minor changes to their plans but have been met with a wall of silence.”
The mass felling of trees was criticised by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Overview and Scrutiny committee in December 2020. Chair of the committee, Cllr Marie-Therese Rossi censured the developers thus:
"To sum up, I have something to say to Catalyst. Something has gone very badly wrong here. You've got a planning permission, which by the sound of it, you got by the skin of your teeth, 10 years ago. You have not been engaging with the residents. And something I learnt a long time ago; I used to work with the urban regeneration agency and rule number one for regeneration is that you don't impose it. It's got to be bottom up. You have got to take people with you. And it really seems in this instance that that is not happening."
"So, I would urge you Catalyst to go and look at your plans again and just see by building a few less houses or flats that you can actually save some of those trees. Because that is what the residents want. And as they have said they are the ones who have to live there for years to come. And Catalyst cannot just dump a project on residents and expect them to be happy about it because they would like to keep their trees. My sympathies are with the residents. I would urge you Catalyst to look again, because it can't be right, this level of protest against what you are doing and that you have not engaged with people down the years."
On Tuesday RBKC’s lead member for Planning Tweeted: We have written to @catalysthousing expressing our unhappiness with the quality of engagement and precipitous felling of trees. We have “requested drawing will be provided to residents without delay”. @RBKC
Local resident Sara Akhtar said, “I am shocked by Catalyst’s lack of concern for residents’ wishes and complete disregard for these beautiful old trees and established ecological systems. Their representative refused to answer questions and then just walked away while one resident was talking to him. It was unbelievable.”
Constantine Gras from Wornington Trees said, “In the midst of this awful devastation, our community group is trying to maintain a positive vision. We can’t get back the trees we’ve lost but we aim to work with the council to plant hundreds of new trees locally to at least try to mitigate the damage.”
According to calculations carried out by the community group, the trees felled by the developers have a capital asset value of more than £20 million. Jessica Jones says, “of course this is a loss that RBKC residents will have to bear. The developers simply have not shouldered their responsibility to the community. We will continue to fight to minimise future losses”.
Keith Stirling, a resident of Wornington Green Estate resigned from Catalyst’s Resident Steering Committee when he learned of the felling of trees had a message for the developers: “We’ve just had the climate thing in Glasgow. It’s brought to the fore how important these trees are. Catalyst, I’m sure you must have seen it. Wake up! Smell the coffee! Trees need to stay”.
Asked about residing in the top of a tree, Extinction Rebellion activist ‘K’ said, “it’s been a bit windy and rainy but it’s nothing I can’t handle. We will be here for as long as necessary”.
ends
Notes for editors
Photos available on request. Contact Jessica Jones [email protected] or Constantine Gras [email protected]
Links:
https://www.worningtontrees.com
https://www.instagram.com/worningtontrees/
https://twitter.com/TreesWornington
https://www.facebook.com/wornington.trees
https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/committees/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=k1C3cDhk8lVitKPbfQ0k%2fAXW7zMdGaAjU93tnXBFRO%2fU49G5kzbUdw%3d%3d&rUzwRPf%2bZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3d%3d=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2fLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3d%3d&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&kCx1AnS9%2fpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2bAJvYtyA%3d%3d=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&FgPlIEJYlotS%2bYGoBi5olA%3d%3d=NHdURQburHA%3d&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3d
https://twitter.com/jthalassites/status/1465578947094233089
Press Release for 05/03/21
Resident chains herself to gate and two arrested as North Kensington community tries to save 40 trees
On the 1st and 2nd March, Catalyst Housing and Heritage Services cut down 32 mature London plane trees as part of the regeneration of Wornington Green estate in North Kensington.
One resident chained herself to the perimeter gate of the estate and two others were arrested as residents took their daily exercise to protest the felling. This included children who were distraught by watching the trees come down after having put up art work in an attempt to save them.
Nick Burton, a survivor of the Grenfell Tower fire, attended the protest and said: “My wife is dead because of Grenfell and they still won’t listen.”
Catalyst ignored a 1700 strong petition and two unprecedented demands from RBKC Council asking them not to fell until they had consulted with residents. The last one was made days before the felling when Cll Thalaitses urged Catalyst to pause their regeneration and meet with residents. Catalyst refused to meet with residents.
This part of the borough is one of the most heavily polluted in London as it sits next to the Westway flyover. The life expectancy of its predominantly BAME residents is 10 years less than in South Kensington. And we live next to Grenfell Tower where the voice and health of residents was tragically ignored. Quote from Grace.
In the aftermath of this devastation, we counted that 32 trees had been cut down and not the 40 that Catalyst had said they were going to remove. We believe that 8 trees will be felled by Catalyst Housing in the nearby Athlone Gardens which is land owned by the Council. We have asked the council to stop Catalyst cutting down any more trees.
Residents have never been fully consulted over the removal of the trees that was based on a 2009 tree plan submitted with all planning applications.
We are campaigning with local residents to get Catalyst to:
1. Not proceed any further with the regeneration until they have set up an appropriate consultative group that reflects the residents and the wider area
2. Ensure that they work immediately with RBKC Council and the community to plant trees in the public domain to mitigate against the first 9 years of the regeneration when over 100 mature trees have been removed.
3. Revise their 2010 masterplan to reflect the reality of living in North Kensington, post Grenfell and Covid19 where a social housing programme must be balanced with environmental needs. We don't need luxury housing in North Kensington.
Resident chains herself to gate and two arrested as North Kensington community tries to save 40 trees
On the 1st and 2nd March, Catalyst Housing and Heritage Services cut down 32 mature London plane trees as part of the regeneration of Wornington Green estate in North Kensington.
One resident chained herself to the perimeter gate of the estate and two others were arrested as residents took their daily exercise to protest the felling. This included children who were distraught by watching the trees come down after having put up art work in an attempt to save them.
Nick Burton, a survivor of the Grenfell Tower fire, attended the protest and said: “My wife is dead because of Grenfell and they still won’t listen.”
Catalyst ignored a 1700 strong petition and two unprecedented demands from RBKC Council asking them not to fell until they had consulted with residents. The last one was made days before the felling when Cll Thalaitses urged Catalyst to pause their regeneration and meet with residents. Catalyst refused to meet with residents.
This part of the borough is one of the most heavily polluted in London as it sits next to the Westway flyover. The life expectancy of its predominantly BAME residents is 10 years less than in South Kensington. And we live next to Grenfell Tower where the voice and health of residents was tragically ignored. Quote from Grace.
In the aftermath of this devastation, we counted that 32 trees had been cut down and not the 40 that Catalyst had said they were going to remove. We believe that 8 trees will be felled by Catalyst Housing in the nearby Athlone Gardens which is land owned by the Council. We have asked the council to stop Catalyst cutting down any more trees.
Residents have never been fully consulted over the removal of the trees that was based on a 2009 tree plan submitted with all planning applications.
We are campaigning with local residents to get Catalyst to:
1. Not proceed any further with the regeneration until they have set up an appropriate consultative group that reflects the residents and the wider area
2. Ensure that they work immediately with RBKC Council and the community to plant trees in the public domain to mitigate against the first 9 years of the regeneration when over 100 mature trees have been removed.
3. Revise their 2010 masterplan to reflect the reality of living in North Kensington, post Grenfell and Covid19 where a social housing programme must be balanced with environmental needs. We don't need luxury housing in North Kensington.