Trees matter to people: Dixon Clark Court’s ‘little forest’

• I AM struggling to “join the dots” in Islington Council’s strategy regarding climate change and in view of their declaration of a climate emergency in 2019.

While there is excellent progress in rolling out an ambitious programme of PFS, people-friendly streets, at least in the south of the borough, the big disconnect comes with greening our urban environment.

For example:

— community parklets; taking up a single car parking space to create a small oasis where people can sit, chat, grow, and enjoy being outside, a particular benefit for those without gardens; in spite of many efforts to introduce a plan for community parklets in Islington, the no-can-do attitude prevails; Islington’s biodiversity action plan, released in September 2020, states that 17 per cent of the borough is deficient in access to nature.

— planters; it seems even in Mayton Street, a beacon of green in a dismal streetscape, the council has still not approved the wonderful street planters; on the contrary, they have consistently wasted time and money issuing “obstruction notices” when there is clearly no obstruction, whether for pedestrians, buggies or wheelchairs; one planter can sustain many different species, providing food for insects, birds and people; in the biodiversity action plan, the council’s vision is “to protect and enhance Islington’s biodiversity”.

— green parking permits; an idea to allow people to green a space previously occupied by a car, but an idea which was deemed so risky that the proposed cost of a green parking permit was totally outside the budget of anyone wanting one; it’s cheaper to park a car in Islington than to create a beautiful green space or, incidentally, to hire one space in a corporation bike hangar.

— chopping down trees which seems to be the easy option for developers and councils to build on precious green space, as in Dixon Clark Court; trees matter to people, already over 600 people have signed a petition to give all our trees a protection order rather than the current
1 per cent; and over 2,000 people have signed a petition asking the council to save these precious DCC trees.

Readers will be aware of this saga and, suffice to say, once a 52-year-old tree is chopped down, it cannot be replaced by a sapling; the current crop of councillors responsible for this arborial massacre won’t be around to see the saplings deliver the benefits that the existing trees are already providing, but future generations who live, are educated and pass by the denuded, built-up, site won’t be thanking the council retrospectively for their environmentally reckless actions in 2021.

The council should find another site, use the former Holloway prison site, get some imaginative architects on board, reconsult, and leave the trees alone.

The council has an opportunity to lead a green revival in the wake of the terrible pandemic where space and nature have proved so vital. But will it step up?

EILIDH MURRAY
Canonbury