Council tree ban - what's the real story?

The Wandsworth Guardian today reports on a campaign by a resident of Felsham Road, close to my campaign HQ, to get some trees planted in nearby Mascotte Street. The Council has claimed that the reason they won't plant any is a fear of damaging the houses and that it costs too much. But that's a strange argument on any number of levels.

First that hasn't stopped them planting trees in any number of streets throughout the borough. Second, any Arboriculturalist will tell you that trees' roots seek out water - so they only attempt to bury into houses if, for example, a sewer is cracked and leaking or where there is major damp - in which case the householder has far more serious problems than trees! Where a house is well looked after there should be no threat of structural damage - especially if trees of a scale appropriate to the streetscape are planted.

I very much doubt that residents of the small terraced steets behin Putney High Street are seeking massive Oaks, Sycamores or Horse Chestnut trees; but modest Rowan or Crab Apple trees would improve the area no end.

In fact, the most common reason why street trees can't be planted is because of underground cables and pipes that we all rely on for electricity, phonelines, cable TV, gas and water. Even in these cases there is usually enough space for one or two trees in any given street, but the council hasn't even ventured that as an excuse this time around.

So come on Wandsworth Council - stop conjouring up scare stories and instead get back to greening Putney! The Guardian story is here.