The Purchese Street Open Green Space

• I WAS surprised to read Paul Braithwaite’s letter trumpeting the Conservative Party manifesto on air quality (Our trees are under threat from Camden Council, May 25).

The most notable thing about the recent Tory government’s record is a string of High Court defeats as they try to avoid doing anything to tackle air pollution. Surely we should instead back Keir Starmer’s call for a new Clean Air Act.

I would also like to clarify Camden Council’s stance regarding trees at Euston and Somers Town. Trees are a vital part of Camden’s environmental assets and the council’s policy is to replace and, where possible, increase Camden’s tree stock. We plant around 400 new trees each year in the borough.

In Somers Town, we will only remove trees where it is absolutely essential to allow the construction of a brand new Edith Neville primary school, new community facilities and 136 new homes, 44 of which will be genuinely affordable social rented homes. In the process, 41 trees are due to be removed.

They will be replaced by 78 new trees within the site boundary in a new landscaped park and 10 new trees on the street – a total of 88 new trees, more than double the number of trees that will be removed.

To compensate the sad loss of trees due to High Speed 2, Camden won an assurance through parliament that for every tree removed a replacement would be planted. HS2 Ltd are required to plant 363 trees and the council intends to plant an additional 150 new trees in the next year alone around Euston and the Adelaide Nature Reserve.

We will be looking at sites across all types of council-owned land, including housing, parks and street tree sites, and welcome suggestions from residents.

CLLR PHIL JONES
Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Transport & Planning
Cantelowes Ward,
London Borough of Camden