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Trees cut down without permission in London park

Anjela Nayyar A patch of land that has tree stumps and to the right is a pile of chopped wood. In the background are tall trees and in the distance, houses. Anjela Nayyar
The felled trees were found on 18 November

A football club has been summoned to a meeting with the local council after some trees were cut down without permission.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a large pile of felled trees was found in Morden Park, south London, next to the area where Motspur Park FC trains and plays.

Merton Council, which owns the park, has an agreement with the club to give it some degree of area management. The authority said it was aware of a plan to install a changing block, but had not authorised the removal of any trees.

Motspur Park secretary Gary Hammocks responded with "no comment" when asked whether the club had felled the trees without permission.

'Rich in nature'

The Friends of Morden Park, a group of volunteers who help maintain the park, said it was home to hundreds of at-risk species of flora and was a site of importance for nature conservation.

They described their shock at discovering the felled trees and said they had not been consulted, as is standard practice when there are any changes to the park.

Simon Wicks, a nature enthusiast and frequent visitor to Morden Park, said access to green space was important for mental and physical health.

He added: "We are aware of the extent to which nature is being depleted all over England, and the importance of having these green oases among our living areas.

“Morden Park is astonishingly rich naturally; for example, half of the UK’s butterfly species have been identified within the park.

“So any damage to habitat is going to have a consequence."

Friends of Morden Park Two industrial-sized red containers on the ground in the park next to felled trees and piles of wood. There are tall trees behind blocking the view of houses in the distance. Friends of Morden Park
Merton Council said it was aware of the club's plan to install a changing block, but had not authorised the removal of any trees

A Merton Council spokesperson said: "The council granted Motspur Park FC permission to clear rubbish and scrub from a small area of land and arranged the provision of skips to make sure waste was properly disposed.

“The removal of trees formed no part of that agreement."

The council said it had called for an "urgent meeting" with Motspur Park bosses to understand what had happened and that it would be seeking appropriate remediation.

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