Save the Queen's Wood Oaks

A house just outside the Queens Wood Nature Reserve is moving on its foundations.

AXA, the insurance giant, is demanding that Haringey Council cut down four mature oaks in the ancient woodland, claiming that this will fix the problem.

AXA state that they “are not putting pressure on anyone” [1]

but AXA will sue Haringey for £270,0003 if their demands are not met

AXA say that underpinning the house will not fix the subsidence

but AXA would claim £270,000 of underpinning costs from Haringey council tax payers

AXA claim that felling four oaks is the only solution to the subsidence of the house

but AXA also demand Haringey fell more ancient woodland trees if it does not work

AXA hope to “bring some peace of mind to our policyholder” [3]

but AXA acknowledge that even after felling the oaks, subsidence will still continue and further work may be necessary

the oaks were there before the house [2]; they are a community asset, and a central part of the complex and valuable ecosystem of the ancient woodland

the oaks are irreplaceable: only such large old trees can support the biodiversity of the nature reserve and mitigate the climate emergency through their carbon storage

AXA has insured the house for decades; the subsidence risk is well known to them

AXA has taken the money as insurance premiums over years. They have no right to offload their liabilities onto the Council and the council-tax payers of Haringey

felling the oaks has only an estimated 30-40% chance of success [2]: there is then a 60-70% chance that AXA will demand further destruction of the woodland

AXA should open to public scrutiny the “confidential” engineering reports which they claim justifies their position

AXA should use their vast resources of expertise and experience to provide the home-owners and the community with a permanent engineering solution

this is about money and AXA’s profits: rather than finding and paying for a lasting remedy, AXA would prefer to have the community suffer the loss of the trees so that AXA can get away with some ‘making good’.