CONTRACTORS IN BIG WOOD - 27/06/22

 

 

This notice is to advise you all that Barnet and the Friends permitted contractors access to the outer path of the wood to the left of the entrance at the top of Temple Fortune Hill on Monday June 27th.

 

A dispute has been going on for over 18 months because the insurance company for a house in Chatham Close alleged that the roots of some trees in Big Wood were causing subsidence problems and the insurance company demanded that the trees be felled. This view has been countered by the Friends organisation and a tree expert was recruited to argue our case. This expert pointed out that there were other trees whose roots could be found under the house and that in any case the main problem was inadequate house foundations on a heavy clay soil. The Friends put forward the alternative proposal of a root barrier near to the house although they pointed out that this would not cure the problem in the house without adequate underpinning.

 

The agents came back and said that if a root barrier was installed, they would not insist of the felling of the trees but would expect Barnet to paythem £60000 for the cost of the root barrier. They then found that access to the back garden from Chatham Close was too restricted and requested access through the wood saying that, if permitted, they would not ask Barnet to pay for the root barrier.

 

After a meeting with the contractors, The Friends are satisfied that damage to the wood will be minimal. A Friends team have widened the path to 2 meters wide by cutting back the understory which will regenerate and tied back branches so the cutting machine can pass.

The contractors will lay down mats for the machine to travel over to minimise contraction of the soil. The equipment will stay in the garden at Chatham Close so there will only be disturbance to the wood on Monday morning June 27th and when the machine exits at the end of the work which could last one to two weeks