Over £80,000 was spent to destroy picturesque pathway.
It's undeniable that living in South London you are constantly going to be witnessing a change. In the bustling hub which we call our collective hme buildings rise just as fast as they fall. Constantly there is a flow of ever evolving culture and art and sometimes it seems as if our lives are constantly open to a frenzy of City Terraforming.
However as the old comes down and the new rises we hardly expect it to happen in protected pockets of nature. Tooting common Chestnut Avenue has existed for over a hundred years. Since I was a child walking down there in whatever season those trees gave the park a sense of regalness almost.
Despite the campaigning of many local residents (5,000 signed a petition against it) and significantly that of the London Mayor Sadiq Khan over 80,000 was spent to destroy the picturesque pathway. Though a report from wandsworth council found that the 67 of the trees were in “good” or “fair” conditions. The decision went ahead to uproot the lot.
A disappointing show of a counsels disattachment to the opinions of the people illustrated that change is not always necessarily good. Though it's a shame in our lifetime we will never see that same Chestnut Avenue as it was, in all fairness each and every one of the trees that have felled have been replanted so at least the future generations will be able to enjoy them.
