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Happy Man Tree
Protest materials on and around the tree as building work is ongoing in the background.
Protest materials on and around the tree with building work ongoing in the background
Happy Man Tree is located in London Borough of Hackney
Happy Man Tree
Happy Man Tree
Hackney, London, England
SpeciesPlane tree (Platanus)
Coordinates51°34′19″N 0°05′26″W / 51.5720179°N 0.0904784°W / 51.5720179; -0.0904784 (The Happy Man Tree)
Height22m [1]
Date seededCirca 1870[2]
Websitehttps://www.thehappymantree.org/

The Happy Man Tree is a plane tree in the Woodberry Down area of Hackney, London, which was awarded Tree of The Year for 2020 by the Woodland Trust.[2]

History and description

Drawn on an Ordnance Survey map in 1870, the Happy Man Tree is over 150 years old and situated just off Seven Sisters Road.[3] It is named due to its proximity to a now-demolished pub called the Happy Man.[4][5]

A 2019 arboricultural report details that it a mature tree of good physiological and structural condition. It is described as a tree of "high quality with an estimated remaining life expectancy of at least 40 years" and a "particularly good example" of its species.[1]

The tree was also The Guardian newspaper's tree of the week in July 2020.[6]

Berkeley Homes dispute

Berkeley Homes has been involved in a dispute with environmental campaigners over the tree, which it wants removed as part of regeneration work on Woodberry Down estate.

Hackney residents started to camp overnight by the tree on 19th May 2020 after workmen put fences around the tree in what looked like a first step towards cutting it down. That day, the Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville tweeted an apology for the distress caused, explaining that "the tree is not being felled today", and saying that he has asked for an urgent update, "especially in the absence of responses to the various emails we have received & the petition".[7][8]

A group of local residents formed an association, Friends of the Happy Man Tree, to launch a petition to save the tree. They also launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover the costs of a legal challenge to prevent the tree from being cut down.[9]

On 24th June, protesters delivered the petition to save the tree with 22,000 signatures and an axe made from papier-mâché to the leader of Hackney Council, asking him if he was prepared to strike the first blow.[10] Hackney Council argued that the tree would cause "design harm and reduction in affordable housing", with a spokesperson for Berkeley claiming that felling the tree would enable the delivery of 584 much needed new homes, including 243 affordable homes, many of which are for people living in substandard accommodation elsewhere on Woodberry Down. [11]

Berkeley Homes and Hackney Council sought an injunction against the peaceful protesters, who were blocking the removal of the tree.[12] Supporters of the tree were "devastated" when this injunction to stop protesters blocking their demolition work was granted by the High Court on 26 June 2020.[13]

The injunction became active in December 2020, prompting the Hackney Gazette to report that it "could be felled 'imminently'".[14]

Mayor Philip Glanville has said that, while a way to avoid removing this tree without delays to an affordable housing project could not be found, new plans instead include the planting of 175 new trees, as well as the equivalent of 19 tennis courts of new open spaces, including a new fully public park.[7] Berkeley say they will be "increasing biodiversity in the area by over 150 per cent".[11]

Tree of the Year

During England's spring Covid-19 lockdown, the tree was nominated for the Woodland Trust's annual Tree of the Year contest by parents and children who pass it on the way to school, with The Ecologist reporting that they "believe it is vital that a tree which plays a part in making the air cleaner for the community is saved".[15]

After shortlisting by an independent panel of judges, the public "overwhelmingly" voted the Happy Man Tree as England’s winner. It beat nine shortlisted rivals, including runner up, the Grantham oak. The 2020 contest saw double the number of trees nominated by members of the public than in previous years, which Darren Moorcroft, chief executive of The Woodland Trust, attributed to lockdowns causing people to take more note of nature on their doorsteps.[5][16]

The Friends of the Happy Man Tree campaign group was given a £1,000 tree care award by the People's Postcode Lottery. The group says it's exploring using the funds to raise awareness about the value of mature trees in the local area.[5][17]

In the announcement of the award's winner, Adam Cormack, head of campaigning for the Woodland Trust, acknowledged the development's "great work" to provide important social housing. However, he also said that "given the developer’s own admission that this tree could have been retained if plans were amended earlier in the consultation process, we must call this out for being a poor decision". He believes that the legacy of the tree must be that England's planning system should protect existing trees, with local voices being listened to when decisions on local trees and woods are made.[5]

  • "All we want for Christmas is the Happy Man Tree" mural
    Christmas mural at the site of the tree
  • High court injunction documents tied to tree
    High court injunction documents tied to tree
  • "Homes and trees" message from protesters
    Message from protesters
  • Photography exhibition honouring the 51 trees cut down for the Berkeley development
    Exhibition honouring the 51 trees cut down for the Berkeley development
  • "Urgent appeal" message from protesters
    Message from protesters

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Mayhew, Clive. "Tree Survey, Arboricultural Impact Assessment & Tree Protection Plan" (PDF). Friends of the Happy Man Tree. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Tree of the Year: Hackney tree set to be felled wins award". BBC News.
  3. ^ "Why we are here - SAVE The Happy Man Tree". Friends of the Happy Man Tree.
  4. ^ "England's 'Tree of the Year' to be cut down and protesters will face two-year jail sentences after High Court order". The Independent.
  5. ^ a b c d "Tree of the Year 2020 set to be felled on London street". Woodland Trust.
  6. ^ "Tree of the week: 'Seeing a flautist play in this plane tree was quite unusual'". The Guardian.
  7. ^ a b "Hackney locals mount 24-hour watch on Happy Man Tree". East London Lines.
  8. ^ Philip Glanville [@mayorofhackney] (19 May 2020). "The tree is not being felled today" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. ^ "Campaigners plan fresh legal challenge against felling Tree of the Year". East London Lines.
  10. ^ Chant, Holly. "Happy Man Tree Supporters deliver petition and papier-mache axe to Hackney Mayor". Hackney Gazette. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  11. ^ a b "Thousands plead with developer Berkeley Homes not to fell Happy Man Tree". Hackney Citizen. 2020-05-15. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  12. ^ "Berkeley chair raises concerns over 'mortgage prisoner' impact on housing market". Inside Housing. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  13. ^ Chant, Holly. "'They may cut the tree down, but they are losing the argument,' says Happy Man Tree Supporter after council granted injunction". Hackney Gazette. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  14. ^ Murray, Clara (2020-12-16). "Hackney's Happy Man Tree could be felled 'imminently'". Hackney Gazette. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
  15. ^ "Tree tops". The Ecologist.
  16. ^ "Grantham's iconic oak tree comes second in national Tree of the Year competition". Grantham Journal.
  17. ^ "Happy Man Tree is voted England's Tree of the Year". The Friends of the Happy Man Tree. The Friends of the Happy Man Tree.
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