36 Lauriston Road, Wimbledon, Merton, SW19 4TQ

Proposal

THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO SEVERAL YEARS OF LIMITED MANAGEMENT, RESULTING IN AN OVERGROWN AND NEGLECTED GARDEN. HAVING RECENTLY PURCHASED AND MOVED INTO THE PROPERTY, WE ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING BOTH THE APPEARANCE OF THE GARDEN AND ITS LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT. THE TREE SUBJECT TO THIS NOTICE IS A WALNUT TREE, LOCATED AT THE FRONT OF THE GARDEN, IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE BOUNDARY WALL AND PUBLIC PAVEMENT. IT IS A PROMINENT, MATURE TREE. THE PROPOSED TREE WORKS FORM PART OF A WIDER PROGRAMME OF LANDSCAPE RESTORATION AND RESPONSIBLE LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT. OUR INTENTION IS NOT TO REDUCE THE OVERALL LANDSCAPED CHARACTER OF THE PROPERTY. WE PROPOSE TO INTRODUCE NEW TREES AND PLANTING USING SPECIES MORE APPROPRIATE TO THE SCALE, SETTING AND CHARACTER OF THE GARDEN, HELPING TO MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONSERVATION AREA OVER THE LONGER TERM. IN RELATION TO THIS PARTICULAR TREE, IT HAS REACHED A SUBSTANTIAL SIZE FOR ITS LOCATION AND IS GROWING IN A HIGHLY CONSTRAINED POSITION IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE BOUNDARY WALL, HARD LANDSCAPING AND PUBLIC PAVEMENT. THE TREE REGULARLY DROPS SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES OF FRUIT, NUTS AND OTHER DEBRIS ONTO THE ADJOINING PUBLIC FOOTWAY. THIS CREATES AN ONGOING SLIP AND TRIP HAZARD FOR PEDESTRIANS, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE FALLEN MATERIAL IS CRUSHED OR BECOMES WET UNDERFOOT. AS THE CANOPY EXTENDS OVER AND IMMEDIATELY ALONGSIDE THE PUBLIC PAVEMENT, REGULAR CLEARANCE DOES NOT FULLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE, AS FURTHER MATERIAL CONTINUES TO FALL. THE TREE'S MATURE SIZE AND RESTRICTED GROWING POSITION ALSO MAKE IT INCREASINGLY UNSUITABLE FOR THIS LOCATION IN THE LONGER TERM. ITS PROXIMITY TO THE BOUNDARY WALL, HARD LANDSCAPING AND PUBLIC FOOTWAY PROVIDES VERY LIMITED SPACE FOR A TREE OF THIS SCALE TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING APPROPRIATELY. WE THEREFORE PROPOSE TO REMOVE THE TREE AND REPLACE IT WITH A MORE APPROPRIATELY SIZED SPECIES IN A SUITABLE POSITION WITHIN THE GARDEN