In a move that has outraged the local community and the Enfield Council, the restaurant chain Toby Carvery has faced eviction proceedings after felling a 500-year-old oak tree without permission. The partial felling of the ancient oak, sometimes referred to as the “Guy Fawkes oak”, took place last April in the Whitewebbs Park car park, which is leased to the company’s owner, Mitchell & Butler (M&B) Retail.
Enfield Council, the landlord of the land, has revealed that it is pursuing eviction proceedings against M&B after the company refused to apologise or offer compensation for the damage caused. In November, the council issued legal proceedings at Edmonton County Court, seeking forfeiture of the lease.
Tim Leaver, the deputy leader of the council, described the destruction of the ancient Whitewebbs oak as a “reckless act” that “shocked and angered our entire community”. He emphasised that the centuries-old tree was an “irreplaceable part of Enfield’s natural heritage”.
The council has stated that the partial felling occurred without their knowledge or consent, in clear breach of the lease governing the site. Leaver said the council has “served a formal Section 146 notice on Mitchell & Butler, the company responsible for the Toby Carvery at Whitewebbs Park. They have failed to engage meaningfully with the council or to make reparations. We have therefore started forfeiture proceedings for serious breaches of their lease.”
The council is now urging M&B to issue a public apology and provide financial reparations for the “irreversible damage they have caused”, as well as compensate the council for the significant costs incurred. “The people of Enfield deserve accountability,” Leaver added.
In a glimmer of hope, the Forestry Commission is set to publish the results of its investigation into the unauthorised felling in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Michael O’Shea, the managing director of Wicked Uncle Toys, has offered to pay for a “life support” scheme to try and save the remaining stump of the tree, which has shown signs of regrowth. However, this would require the cooperation of M&B to install a tank and sprinkler system on the site.
The dispute between the council and the restaurant chain is expected to reach the courts later this year or early next year, as Enfield Council continues its pursuit of accountability and reparations for the loss of this irreplaceable part of the borough’s natural heritage.
