Neighbours Andrew Long, Philip Gee and his partner John Ashwell by a semi mature gingko tree

FIVE ginkgo trees that were paid for by residents in King’s Cross have been chopped down in what neighbours are describing as an act of “environmental vandalism”.

The 15-year-old mature Japanese trees were ripped up in York Way last month after Endurance Land contacted Camden Council – which manages both sides of the road even though one side belongs to Islington – for permission to cut them down.

They were removed to “facilitate the creation of two pit lanes” for a nearby construction site, with Endurance Land promising to replant the five trees following completion of the works.

But John Ashwell, a project manager who has lived in Wharfdale Road for 23 years and pioneered the leafy look of the neighbourhood by fundraising to pay for 300 trees in and around his street in 2002, said: “For me, it’s environmental vandalism, it should not be allowed in this day and age. For the council to then not take a really strong stance, that’s what I don’t get.

He added: “This is greening the urban realm – and the public realm has to be green because we’re living in the age of climate change. It is essential we green our streets.

“If a developer comes along and chops the trees down every time they want to renovate a building, we wouldn’t have any mature trees ever.”

He warned any replanted trees will take years to regrow to the original height, with many likely to be damaged before they can grow tall enough to be out of harm’s way.

The tree pits where the trees have been chopped down

Endurance Land has not breached any conditions because they approached Camden to remove them before any planning agreement with Islington around the issue of the trees had been reached.

Islington councillor Paul Convery said: “Endurance Land has wangled Camden into chopping down those trees but they hadn’t yet agreed a tree protection plan with Islington – a condition of their planning permission. Camden has also behaved outrageously. Their tree officer should have checked with Islington planning prior to agreement.”

He added: “We’re a borough where tree protection is supposedly a big deal – but along comes a developer and just chainsaws five perfectly good trees because it suits their convenience. Most of my ire is directed at Camden but I am dismayed at how lackadaisical the Islington planners are.”

Mr Ashwell is now calling for a tightening up of regulations around trees and construction sites, and more severe penalties for developers who damage or remove trees without permission.

Endurance Land said it was “committed to meeting our obligations to replace the trees”, adding that its development “will also seek to increase biodiversity in the area”.

A spokesperson said: “Endurance Land are also working with Islington to explore opportunities for providing further trees and planting in the local ­vicinity.”

Islington said its planning department had received two applications relating to the trees, but a decision on consent had not yet been made.

A spokesperson said: “The council is extremely concerned about the unauthorised removal of the street trees on York Way.

“A Borough Boundary Agreement delegates the maintenance of both sides of this part of York Way, inclusive of the maintenance of trees, to the London Borough of Camden.”

A spokesperson for Camden Council said it had agreed to the felling as it was seen as the only way to keep a “bus stop operational, as requested by TfL during this development”.

They added: “The developer has paid for the removal and the value of the trees, plus the cost of replacement and three years maintenance once the new trees have been planted.”