Flat 1, 70 Hornsey Lane, London, N6 5LU
I am writing to enquire about the tree I have at the front of my property at number 70 Hornsey Lane. It is not one of the council trees growing along side the road. This small tree in question is growing on the corner of my parking space, at the edge of the pavement, with the branches hanging over the pavement and the parking spaces of the house next door (68 Hornsey Lane). Back in November, I asked my gardener if the tree in question needed pruning and my gardener pointed out that the tree is an old Laburnum and is in a bad state. It has numerous cracks on its trunk, it’s dying and it needs to be cut down for safety as it can become hazardous. On the following day (6.11.23), I contacted the Islington Council and put forward an enquiry, asking for the council to give me an answer if I could go ahead with the removal of the tree, or pruning it back if they thought it was still possible to save it. The reference for that enquiry is SR16601842. I have been waiting for an answer from the tree department for more than 6 months, calling the council every now and then for an update. I never got a reply. Never have I been told during those phone calls that I needed to fill any forms via planning portal! Only after 6 months of waiting and speaking to Islington customer services recently I have been told that I needed to contact a planning department. As advised, I have looked on the map of islington area under the tree section and my tree does not appear on the map, and it does not have a TPO. Therefore, could you please advise me, if I could go ahead and do what my gardener sees fit with the tree, i.e. removal, before it becomes fragile and becomes a danger to passers by. At the moment it’s leaning heavily over the pavement. I am including the pictures of the tree. I hope it helps this enquiry as, understandably, I would like to have this resolved as soon as possible.