Save the Cox's Walk Footbridge Oak Trees

Short Notice: We have been offered a meeting with Council Officers at the bridge on Tuesday 8th October 2019 at 10 am. It's the nearest thing to an open public consultation so far. Please come along if you can. If you have questions you'd like asked, email them to savefootbridgeoaks@gmail.com.
Hope to see some of you then!
Pennie

Things have now reached a critical stage and we need your help again. Thanks to your fantastic support so far there is a temporary delay in felling the trees. We fear that this process is near its end, and that the trees are again in imminent danger of being cut down. The Council has still not provided any evidence to support its abandonment of the low impact, best value rebuild recommended by its structural assessment.
Please email Rebecca Lury, rebecca.lury@southwark.gov.uk Southwark Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment to request two things:
· that the Council commissions a second structural assessment and recommendations on the Cox’s Walk Footbridge from a specialist conservation accredited structural engineer.
· That the Council holds an open meeting to consult the public on its plans for the bridge and the oak trees as soon as possible.
Many thanks for your continued support.

The Council has turned down our application for the Tree Preservation Orders, insisting that it still needs to take them down for access. But we have now seen that the repairs they are proposing are far more drastic than those recommended in the engineer's report. Instead of rebuilding the walls with some reinforcement, onto the existing foundations, as recommended, they are planning to dig out the whole foundations start again! Why would they want to add so much expense and disruption to the repair work? It is also highly likely that the trees could be spared if they only had the original repairs to carry out.

The Dulwich Diverter is running a story on the Campaign in its next edition. It would be great if any of you could come to the bridge tomorrow, Sunday 24th August at 11 am for a group photo for them.

Thank you all for your support so far, it's been fantastic and shows how much people appreciate these great trees and all they do for us.
Local Councillor Andy Simmons has talked to Council officers about saving the trees, but so far they are adamant that the trees have to go as they obstruct the repair work. Many issues remain unanswered.
We have now gone to the next stage and written to the Southwark Director of Planning with details of the issues we are raising, and asking for Tree Preservation Orders whilst these serious concerns are investigated. We included a paper petition of over 200 signatures collected on the footbridge and a link to this online petition. The letter was copied Southwark Council Chief Executive, Eleanor Kelly, Helen Hayes MP, councillors Andy Simmons and Catherine Rose, London Wildlife Trust, the Dulwich Society, the Dulwich Estate and the Sydenham Hill Ridge Neighbourhood Forum, so I hope we will begin to see a more public debate soon.