Frankly, I’m just at a loss for words about this! As I walked up York Way on Saturday afternoon and glanced down Railway Street I was greeted by this sight!
All the trees on Railway Street were paid for by local resident and business contributions and already on this street alone three of the seven recently planted trees have been vandalized. And this is not the only place – as one walks around the neighbourhood there are a number of other empty tree pits where newly planted trees have been vandalized.
Did anyone see or hear anything? If you did, please let me know as I would like to make it my personal quest to go after those responsible.
Kings Cross Environment 
I am really pretty sickened by this. I just saw the damage today coming back from the supermarket. It’s another grim example of mindless destructive behaviour that sometimes makes life in our neighbourhood quite unpleasant.
I also share Stephan’s anguish which is heightened by the fact that individuals and businesses dug into their own pockets to fund this planting (and others that have been destroyed recently).
Stephan asks the question “what kind of yob …?” The answer is (at best) “drunk and stupid”. But there’s something deeper and more worrying. We have a dreadful nihilism around us that gets manifest in selfishly destructive acts like this. I am told that several hundred newly planted vulnerable trees get snapped like this ever year in the Borough.
Practically though, what to do? I have written today to the Head of Greenspace firstly to get the damaged tree removed and this and other root pits replaced. Secondly, I have asked to get some toughened defences for all the trees in these sorts of locations (particularly where there is less overlooking from houses). For example, we have got some replacement trees put into Tilloch Street (the little pedestrianised area opposite Bridgeman Road). These are protected by a cylindrical cage that is anchored into the ground after previous plantings had got damaged. It doesn’t sound very good when described like this but they are actually quite pleasant looking, “Parisian” style. I appreciate that an “armour plating” solution feels like surrendering to wanton vandalism.
Walking around the streets south of the canal this evening, I counted eleven trees damaged or completely removed. I also realised that the trees planted along York Way already have metal defences which have regretably not prevented vandalism of at least 3 saplings north of Railway Street. I think the type of cages I described which are on Bridgeman Road are a slightly different design and may be more robust. However, the answer may lie in simply planting much stronger more mature trees – for example the (replacement) tree further up York Way (outside the former underground station) is considerably larger and stronger than the saplings that were planted around Wharfedale, York Way, Railway Street etc. I have asked James Gilchrist, Head of Greenspace to come down and have a tour of the damage, then we’ll figure out a replacement plan. Sadly, I think we’ve passed the optimum time of year to plant replacements but we’ll see what he says.