Rochford tree: Residents 'can't wait' to spend Christmas protesting

Cradling mince pies, carol sheets and plenty of layers, a small contingent of protesters will choose to spend their Christmas at an oak tree.

A group of residents obstructed a housing developer from felling the tree in Rochford, Essex, in October.

Demonstrators say someone has slept up in the branches every night since.

A High Court injunction, making it illegal to "deliberately obstruct" the tree's removal, does not take effect until February.

Both the residents, and Bloor Homes, have argued over whether felling the tree is necessary to make way for a new junction and a 662-home development off Ashingdon Road.

Former police officer and foster carer "Jason", who did not want to give his real name, has spent 40 nights sleeping in the tree since the campaign began in earnest on 20 October.

The group have a changeable rota of "tree-dwellers", but Jason was the most likely candidate to sleep on the tree's makeshift wooden platform on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

"We want to keep the awareness, that we have already raised, continuous and we want to say to everyone 'we are still here, this isn't an abandoned cause'," said the local father-of-four, who said his family was backing him.

"My wife is very supportive of this. She has come along, brought me hot drinks and supported the cause on the ground as well."

The tree camp, which sits roughly 15ft (4.6 metres) above ground, consists of a wooden platform, several harnesses, a small mattress and a sleeping bag.

Tarpaulin and silver foil insulation helped limit the plunging temperatures to -3C (27F) inside the tent during the cold snap.

"It's uncomfortable, it's cold, it's unpleasant, but it's worth it," added Jason, who said hot drinks and some on-the-spot exercise kept him warm.

The toilet is contained in a black bin liner.

"It's a bit uncomfortable sometimes - there is a bit of gymnastics to carry out that process, but it's all doable," he said.

Leanne Dalby, a 42-year-old IT recruiter from Rochford, was planning to spend Christmas Eve sleeping in the gazebo under the tree and most of Christmas Day at the site with other supporters.

"I don't care about Christmas this year, this is my Christmas, and I can't wait to wake up Christmas morning under the most beautiful tree in Rochford," she said.

The housing development, opposed by Rochford District Council, was approved by the government's Planning Inspectorate in March 2022.

Under the plans, Ashingdon Road would be widened to three lanes allowing for an access road and the footpath outside Holt Farm infant and junior schools would be reduced to 3.25m (10.6ft) in width, and with it, the tree removed.

The head teachers at both schools have said the proposed junction was potentially dangerous.

It is subject to a Tree Preservation Order and the company agreed to pay the council £67,560 in compensation for its destruction and a further £75,000 for tree planting nearby.

Mike Webb, a local Conservative district councillor, is asking Bloor to consider moving its access road more than 100m (328ft) further north.

"To reduce this section of pavement and think that's okay is frankly ridiculous," said Mr Webb, whose children attend the schools.

As well as concerns over the proposed junction, the Save the Holt Farm Oak Tree group cite the tree's heritage - estimated to be 150 years old - and the need to offset carbon emissions.

The injunction applies between 6 February and 16 April and Bloor Homes said it had obtained a road space booking to reattempt the felling in the February half term.

Essex Highways however said the company's Temporary Traffic Regulation Order application, needed for closing the footpath, was not yet approved.

Ms Dalby said she would not breach the injunction.

Mark Francois, Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, has also urged Bloor to redesign its proposed junction and said "constituents feel extremely strongly that it doesn't need to be cut down."

Nigel Greenhill, who has lived opposite the tree for 22 years, said the demonstration was "a bit annoying" because of "the mess, the noise, the drums and the hooting of the cars".

The 57-year-old piano technician said: "I'm a very confused with their cause because they tell me it's about the development, yet everybody tells me it's about saving the tree, so they just use the tree as an excuse to stop the development, but the development is going to go ahead.

"We've got to have development, we need houses, it's got to be done. I'm not happy it's on my doorstep, but we've got to live.

"Where I'm living now was, once upon-a-time, trees. These were fields and this was all taken down so I can live here, so I can't deprive that right of anyone else."

Mr Greenhill said the new junction was "not ideal" and suggested the replanting would outweigh the loss of the tree.

A second resident, who did not want to be named, was opposed to the development, the access road and the felling of the tree but thought it was "inevitable".

"I have absolute 100% respect for what they're doing but I think it's ultimately pointless," she said.

A third resident was also opposed to the proposed access road, but said: "The tree, is a tree. It's not really relevant.

"You can talk about oxygen and carbon dioxide and all the rest of it but at the end of the day it is one tree."

In previous statements, a Bloor Homes spokeswoman has pointed out the new development access road, and the removal of the tree, was subject to a "full consultation" and approval from the Planning Inspectorate.

"The High Court injunction means we can now move forward and plan the safe removal of the tree," she said.

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