From TFL : Northern line extension
Activity Notification November 2015
“Earlier this year we communicated that the Tree of Heaven (T4) on the north side of the Kennington Green worksite would require pruning due to the proximity of the construction works. Some initial pruning has been undertaken, however following further assessments by a tree specialist and London Borough of Lambeth tree officers we have been advised that pruning or lopping of branches will no longer be sufficient and it has now been decided that the tree will need to be removed.
Unfortunately when a trenching and root survey exercise was conducted, it was found that the majority of the main roots have grown under Kennington Green. These roots need to be cut for the construction of piles, which could impact on the long term stability of the tree. An on-going cycle of crown reduction would also be required to mitigate this, which would drastically alter the appearance of the tree and as such it is the recommendation from LB Lambeth and the project tree specialist that the tree is removed.
LB Lambeth will place a Notice of Removal on the tree in the coming week and the tree will be removed after the required notice period.
It has always been the aim of the project to retain the tree; however the on-going requirement for crown reduction and the loss in amenity value to reduce the risk of the tree becoming unstable means that the tree is no longer considered viable.
The tree will be replaced as part of the reinstatement of Kennington Green and we welcome your feedback on the species of tree here. We will be looking to place containerised trees of a suitable species on the north side of the Green as short term mitigation for this tree loss.
Your feedback is important to us.
If you have any concerns or queries, please contact us at nle@tfl.gov.uk or call our 24/7 helpdesk on 0343 222 2424.”