Council advances legal proceedings due to ‘reckless’ tree felling

Enfield Council has started forfeiture proceedings against Mitchells & Butlers following the company’s partial felling of an ancient oak tree.

The council had issued an emergency preservation order last April to protect the remains of the Whitewebbs Oak after it had been partially felled without the local authority’s consent.

Mitchells & Butlers, the company that owns the Toby Carvery at Whitewebbs Park, had ordered the tree to be axed due to an assessment that revealed its dead wood presented health and safety hazards.

The council has since served a Section 146 notice on Mitchells & Butlers, which warns that the company has breached its lease and requires the tenant to remedy the breach.

However, the local authority has confirmed that the Mitchells & Butlers had ‘failed to engage meaningfully with the council or to make reparations’ for the incident, with the council having now begun forfeiture proceedings.

Read the full article on LocalGov.

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