Ealing father ‘fears for his children’s safety’ as ‘dangerous’ tree threatens to collapse in garden

A Hanwell resident claims he has been waiting months for local authorities to act to prevent a ‘dangerous’ tree from falling. Sohail Khan told MyLondon that half of his garden had to be abandoned for fear the multi-branched tree could topple over at any moment.

The tree has already started to fall, partially tearing off the foundations of Mr Khan’s shed and threatening to crush his and his neighbours’ fences. As a father-of-four recovering from serious surgical complications, Mr Khan says the garden is an essential area of ​​his cramped two-bedroom council property for him and his children to relax.

Mr Khan said he reported the issue to the council in February but was still waiting for action to be taken at his home in Hanwell. However, Ealing Council said maintenance of the tree was the resident’s responsibility as part of their tenancy, but offered to pay half of the costs to remove the tree.

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The council said it had given Mr Khan quotes for two options – to be stacked on site or removed. Mr Khan did not appear to be aware of this when he spoke to LDRS in early May. Instead, he said he was informed that because it was a health and safety issue, the council would remove the tree.

He stated: “It all started in February. We had the head of trees in the London Borough of Ealing come down within 48 hours and say: “This is a health and safety (concern). Normally we would make the resident or tenant pay but because it is health and safety we will cover the costs.”

Mr Khan says the council’s tree contractor surgeon attended the property and after inspecting the tree said it needed to be removed completely. However, after several weeks, Mr Khan said he was told by his housing officer that the council did not want to cover the costs.

Unsure what to do next, Mr Khan said he contacted the council’s deputy leader Deirdre Costigan and then leader Peter Mason, but received very little response. The delays, Mr Khan argues, are a sign the council is trying to prioritize money over the safety of its children.

“I’ve got four little kids,” he says, “but I’m not going to let them come here, because you can tell it’s going to work. It’s not if, it’s when now. It’s a massive job, it’s causing damage not only to my property but also to my neighbours’.

He continued: “I said to my neighbors ‘look I’m honestly waiting for the council, do I pay it? If I pay him, it will be a fight.”

His lack of certainty about the council’s overall response appears to have frustrated Mr Khan the most, with the local authority saying it would pay, then coming back and offering to cover half the costs. In the four months it took to complete the deal, Mr Khan says the situation for the trees only got worse. “It’s getting worse. This is a health and safety issue,” he said in late May.

A council spokesman said: “The council’s housing services have been working with Mr Khan to find a suitable solution to remove the failing tree from his back garden. Although it is Mr. Khan’s responsibility to maintain the tree as per the terms of his lease, we have offered to pay half of the cost of removing the tree.

“Mr Khan should raise the other half. I gave Mr Khan quotes for two options – to have the tree stacked on site or removed. Our recommendation is to remove it, as stacking it on site would take up a significant amount of the garden.

“We understand that Mr Khan is keen to resolve this, as are we, and once he identifies the option he would like, we will train the tree surgeons accordingly.”

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