In a shocking turn of events, the owner of the Toby Carvery restaurant chain, Mitchell & Butlers Retail (M&B), is facing impending eviction from a location in Enfield’s Whitewebb Park after partially felling a 500-year-old oak tree without the local council’s permission.
Enfield Council has threatened to evict the restaurant chain, stating that the “reckless act” has “angered our entire community” and is in clear breach of the lease held by M&B. The council has now served a formal Section 146 notice on the company, initiating forfeiture proceedings for the “serious breaches” of their lease agreement.
The incident came to light when council workers arrived at the park and discovered the nearly half-a-millennium-old tree had been partially toppled, leaving local residents “devastated.” The council has described the felling as “criminal damage” and is pursuing legal action against the Toby Carvery owner.
Enfield’s deputy leader, Tim Leavers, condemned the act, stating that the “destruction of the ancient Whitewebb oak was a reckless act which caused huge damage to the tree and cut its expected life span. It shocked and angered our entire community.”
The tree, sometimes known as the Guy Fawkes oak, was considered an irreplaceable part of Enfield’s natural heritage, with experts estimating it to be between 450 and 500 years old and boasting a “huge girth” of six metres. The Woodland Trust has described the tree as more ecologically significant than the Sycamore Gap tree, the felling of which caused nationwide outrage in 2023.
M&B has declined to comment further, citing the ongoing legal proceedings. However, Enfield Council has demanded that the company issue a public apology and provide financial reparations for the “irreversible damage” caused, as well as compensate the council for the significant costs incurred.
The council has also called for M&B to cover the “life support” costs that would go towards cultivating the tree’s remains, as its stump has shown signs of regrowth.
This incident has sparked widespread condemnation and has left the local community feeling betrayed by the actions of the Toby Carvery owner. The outcome of the legal proceedings will be closely watched, as the people of Enfield demand accountability for the loss of this irreplaceable piece of their natural heritage.
