Contractor that cut back ancient oak in London park identified | London

A mystery contractor who sawed down an old oak tree in north London for restaurant chain Toby Carvery has been identified by the Guardian, sparking more questions about the incident.

The unauthorized partial felling of a 500-year-old oak tree a year ago on Friday at Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, sparked public outrage and sparked questions in Parliament.

Mitchells & Butler Retail (MBR), owner of Toby Carvery, claimed it was informed by its contractor that the work was necessary for safety reasons as the tree was diseased. But many experts, including a Forestry Commission investigator, judged it to be healthy and showing few signs of needing felling.

Until now, the identities of the contractors involved, who were photographed using vans without company logos during the work, were kept secret.

The Guardian has seen documentary evidence showing the work was undertaken by Ground Control, which describes itself as “a leading maintenance company and biodiversity expert” and has a turnover of £190 million.

Ground Control agreed to remove the tree from the MBR, which it said was necessary to protect a public space, citing a large crack in one of its main branches, documents show.

Doctor Ed Pyne, senior conversation advisor at the Woodland Trust, said: “It’s tragic that it’s taken a year to find out who was behind the felling of this tree. There has been a lack of transparency throughout, so now it’s time for them to answer some questions.

“What is the evidence that the tree was dangerous? What level of qualifications and competence did Ground Control officers have when they made this decision? We have not heard any solid justification for why this tree was cut down.”

The oak trunk, or main stem, is all that remains of the tree once all of its branches have been cut with a chainsaw. It shows no signs of breakage or splitting, according to Russell Miller, an expert on ancient trees. He said the document appeared to refer to an “open cavity” in one of the main branches felled by contractors.

Miller said, “Any tree professional would describe this as an old, semi-occluded injury…it was obviously several years old at the time of the fall and was not a hazard. And even if someone thought it was a hazard, you wouldn’t have to cut down the entire tree.”

Enfield Council, which owns the Whitewebbs Park site, took legal action to evict Toby Carvery after MBR refused to apologize or offer compensation for damage to the tree, which was done without council permission.

Ground Control has a specialist team of arborists who typically assess trees and carry out surgeries and removals. But sources say the team of arborists were not involved in assessing or sawing the Toby Carvery oak.

Instead, sources say, the work was led by Ground Control’s grounds maintenance team, which has less tree expertise. This claim raises further questions about the MBR’s justification for felling the tree.

In a statement released last April, MBR said: “Our specialist tree contractors assessed that the split and dead wood posed a serious health and safety risk and advised that the tree was unsafe and should be removed. »

A spokesperson for Toby Carvery said: “There will be no further comment due to ongoing legal proceedings. »

Sources close to Ground Control say an internal review of the incident by the company was conducted by a contracts manager rather than a tree specialist.

The Guardian has contacted Ground Control for comment. Its chief executive, Jason Knights, said: “As this is an ongoing legal matter, Ground Control is unable to comment on the issues you raise. »

MBR is majority owned by investment company Enic, which also has close financial ties to Tottenham Hotspur football club. In its 2024 annual accounts, MBR revealed it had entered into an option agreement with Spurs to purchase the lease of the Toby Carvery site at Whitewebbs Park.

The club has denied that the felling of the oak tree has any connection with its plans to build a women’s football academy on 17 hectares of land adjacent to the park.

Miller, who is part of the Guardians of Whitewebbs group, which campaigns against Spurs’ plans for the park, said: “The claim that the tree was dangerous has been completely refuted by numerous experts, including a recent independent investigation by the Forestry Commission. »

Last year, Enfield Town Council reported the felling of the tree to police, who refused to investigate, saying it was a civil rather than criminal matter.

Miller said: “Why aren’t the police investigating what happened? Why doesn’t the law apply to businesses? Why was this tree destroyed and who decided to destroy it?”

The Whitewebbs Guardians group has won a judicial review against Enfield’s decision to grant planning permission for Spurs’ training complex at the park. It will be heard in June.

The prospect of Spurs being relegated from the Premier League could also derail plans.