Residents concerned about trees as Kellogg Tower to be demolished for flats
A WEST London office block will be bulldozed to make way for nearly 300 flats despite concerns that trees will be replaced with “little twigs”.
The Kellogg Tower, in Greenford, will be demolished and replaced with 288 flats after planning permission was granted by Ealing Council last week.
Permission for the development was granted despite strong opposition from residents and some councillors over the number of trees that will be chopped down to make way for the new buildings.
According to plans submitted by developers Laverne Holdings, 107 trees will be removed and replaced by 122 newly planted or relocated ones, meaning there will be 15 extra trees in total.
However, many of the existing trees are large and mature, so residents and some councillors are concerned that cutting them down and replacing them with saplings would be environmentally damaging.
Ahead of the planning meeting, 100 residents commented on the plans, with many saying they were worried about the loss of trees.
One resident wrote: “The loss of these trees will expose residents to even higher levels of pollution, being so close to busy congested roads. We should be saving existing trees and planting more, not cutting them down.”
A second resident agreed and wrote: “This development is effectively removing mature trees in favour of concrete.”
Speaking at Ealing Council’s planning committee meeting, Councillor Fabio Conti said: “I have some concerns about the extent of the tree removal.
“Replanting very young, small trees is very different to trees that have been there for decades and it’s going to take a very long time – we’re talking years and years and years for that to be mitigated by planting some new trees.
“We’re talking a long time into the future. I think green and wooded areas are few and far between and we should be preserving them. This starting to encroach further onto Metropolitan Open Land makes me really concerned for this development.”
Cllr Dee Martin also said she was worried about the type of replacement trees that would be planted, and said: “I am assuming that the trees are not little twigs that are being replaced, that we have actually got some mature trees that we are putting in instead.”
Cllr Dabrowska also said she wanted a condition to be attached to the planning permission that “little twigs” would not be planted.
The planning committee concluded that the health and environmental impact of the new trees would be greater than those lost.
Work on the development is due to start within a year. Ealing Council has committed to becoming a carbon neutral borough by 2030, with plans to increase the number of trees to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
Ealing Council has been approached for comment.