Update on the felling of the Whitewebbs Oak
PR manager
Enfield Council has settled its legal case with Mitchells & Butlers over the felling of the ancient Whitewebbs Oak tree in North London. Here is the Woodland Trust’s response.
Ed Pyne, senior conservation adviser for the Woodland Trust said:
“The Whitewebbs Oak provided a home to a huge range of rare wildlife for 500 years and its ecological, cultural and historical value was incomparable. There is nothing that can compensate for the loss of an ancient tree. Planting young trees, while of value, can never replace an ecosystem and habitat that has been built over generations.
“Proper legal protections for ancient and veteran trees, similar to those we have for historic buildings, could have prevented this tragedy from occurring in the first place. More than 100,000 people signed our petition for legal protection for our oldest and most special trees, handed to Downing Street in 2024. We urge people to write to their MPs and tell them about the trees in their area that they value most, and why they need stronger protections in law.”
Notes to editors
For enquiries, please email media@woodlandtrust.org.uk or call 033 033 35313.
About the Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity with a vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature. We have more than 500,000 members and supporters and care for more than 1,000 woods – all free for everyone to visit.
We’ve been fighting for the health of people and planet with every tree since 1972, but today our mission is more urgent than ever.
We focus on three key aims:
- protecting the UK’s remaining rare, unique and irreplaceable ancient woodland
- restoring damaged ancient woods, helping bring precious pieces of our natural history back to life
- creating new native woods and planting more trees to build healthy, resilient landscapes for people and wildlife.