Haringey Council added ‘it is worth noting that none of the trees in Finsbury Park are ancient or veteran’ – despite residents’ disagreement, reports Miriam Balanescu

Four months on from a Tough Mudder event causing widespread controversy, further anger around the environmental impact of events in Finsbury Park has been sparked after an events company were accused of breaching guidelines to ‘prevent tree damage’.

On 6th August, the voluntary group Urban Rewilders posted on social media that heavy equipment had been placed near or on tree roots in preparation for events hosted by live events company Krankbrother. The company have been managing a series of events across last weekend (5th-6th August) – during which Solomun and Peggy Gou performed – and this weekend (12th-13th August) – with Annie Mac, Four Tet and Anjunadeep to make appearances.

Event managers have closed off public access to some areas of the park.

Urban Rewilders photographed through barriers ‘a giant fridge’ and a ‘generator’ placed near trees, tweeting: “How heavy is a shipping container? Should it be put on top of veteran Plane tree roots ‘the park’s strongest ecological asset’? […]

“The Woodland Trust guidance says not.”

The group went on to claim Haringey Council had written to the Friends of Finsbury Park saying that equipment had been removed, but that their photographs evidenced that more equipment had since replaced it.

Urban Rewilders claimed: “What the parks dept didn’t say was new and more numerous heavy machines and equipment had been put in their place!”

Organisations and individuals including Haringey Tree Protectors weighed in to accuse the council of breaching its own guidelines on preventing tree damage during events, reading that ‘the Finsbury Park Events’ ‘Contract for Hire’, contains the requirement of a 3 metre minimum distance for any equipment sited within close proximity to any tree(s)’.

Today (11th August), the council were further accused of cutting down tree branches to install ‘toilets, food stands and lorries’.

The account @RedBird101 tweeted “So this is how @haringeycouncil cares for its beautiful old Plane trees – by letting @krankbrother surround them with toilets, food stands & lorries and hang lighting cables from them – and by lopping off branches. When and why was this work done?”

Haringey Tree Protectors added: “How can @haringeycouncil allow @krankbrother to chop off veteran tree branches for toilets -these are the most valuable trees in the park! @FourTet r u OK with your promoter carrying out eco-vandalism in a climate crisis??”

Cllr Mike Hakata, cabinet member for climate action, environment and transport, and deputy leader of the council, said: “We understand the immeasurable value trees bring to our parks, which is why we protect them during events. Guidance given to organisers includes not placing heavy items within 3m of trees to prevent soil compaction. Following events, works like soil aeration and root mulching relieve any compaction that may take place.

“We’ve investigated concerns about root damage from events and asked event organisers to make some small adjustments but are confident no lasting or significant damage occurred.

“It is worth noting that none of the trees in Finsbury Park are ancient or veteran. An ecological impact assessment of Finsbury Park is underway to provide a baseline and will recommend mitigation measures where necessary to protect biodiversity in the park during future events.”

Update

The avenue of Finsbury Park London planes trees was planted in 1869, making them 154 years old. The Woodland Trust advises that ‘there is no set age for a tree to be considered ancient’, but this is determined by the tree’s girth and canopy. According to the same guidance, ‘veteran is a term describing a tree with habitat features such as wounds or decay’.

More information on the London Planes can be found here: https://www.treetree.co.uk/treetree_downloads/The_London_Plane.pdf

https://www.treetree.co.uk/treetree_downloads/The_London_Plane.pdf

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