Neighbours in and around Estelle Road say Camden is ruining the trees when they are in bloom

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RESIDENTS living in Gospel Oak said it was  that blossom trees on the road had been butchered just as they were about to bloom.

While the pollarding in Estelle Road happens every year and is not a new issue for residents they say the brutal pruning is just a case of poor timing from the council and suggest that the trees, some of them 50 years old, could be pollarded in the winter so residents can appreciate the blossoms in spring.

Charlotte Gascoigne said: “Horticulturally, it’s just plain wrong to cut down blossom at this time of year – it’s just the wrong time of year to do it. I don’t mind them pollarding trees but you can do it in the winter.

“But once they’ve started to come into blossom it’s just horticultural madness. It’s fabulous when they’re in bloom – it’s a picture. I was just so looking forward to seeing them blossom.”

Councillor Steve Adams, the leader of the Camden Conservatives, said: “Camden are well aware that residents think this is a very unpopular action.

“I’ve spoken to a very senior arboriculturist who actually trains local authority tree officers – especially on the ruthlessness of pruning. It’s not gentle and unfortunately the arboriculturist agrees entirely with Camden’s processes and agrees that this is the proper way to maintain trees.

“I don’t know why – you can bang your head against that tree for an awfully long time and you won’t get somebody agreeing with you that it would be nicer to be gentle to the trees.

“It’s the more institutional tree surgeons who are more interventionist but this can cause problems.

“It shouldn’t be forced to work this way. And the question to ask is why can’t the council rest their contractors for two months of the year. I’m very reluctant to suggest more rules. But the sensible timing is obviously not looked at.”

Kiki Kendrick hugs a tree

A Camden Council spokesperson said: “As part of the council’s regular tree maintenance programme, we carried out an inspection which found these trees had decay and fungi.

“They therefore required treatment to keep them in a safe and healthy condition. This work needed to be carried out now, while the trees were dormant.”