3 October 2018 

TPOs in North Cray - update 

Following the article by Jean Gammons on Tree Preservation Orders in North Cray, we have received enquiries regarding a number of individual trees in North Cray and the trees on Footscray Meadows.

Jean has followed up these enquiries and has produced the following additional information :

We did consider including a short list of our TPOs in our NewsMail, but then thought members might find it easier to look at the maps themselves.

However, the list I compiled is as follows:-

North Cray's TPOs

Bunkers Hill The trees on land leading south from Footpath 134 off the North Cray Road and those at Little Mascal Farm, The Red House, The White House, the Little Acre/Little Haven private gypsy sites and the line of trees running eastwards.

Cocksure Lane The line of trees running between Chase Park House and Ashurst and survivors of the ancient Gatton Wood (including Silverdene).

Ellenborough Road Those on land north of Nos. 137-251

Footscray Meadows Trees along the River Cray

North Cray Road The avenue of trees leading to the site of Mount Mascal, and the trees to its north known as The Grove. Also those on land owned by Stuarts Nursery, the Homewood Stud Farm and Penhill Nursery. 

St James Way The two centuries-old Cedar trees in the gardens of Nos. 18 and 28.

I based this list on the complete list of all TPOs in Bexley, which can be found at:

               Tree Preservation Orders in Bexley

You will see from this that only the trees along the River Cray in Footscray Meadows are protected by a TPO. 

I contacted Bexley to see if this is because the Meadows themselves are a Park, and that this gives them the status of protection and I received the following reply :

Although the Meadows are within the Metropolitan Green Belt and are subject to various nature designations, they are not protected by any TPO or by virtue of being within a Conservation Area. As a result if any trees were felled or were subject to works, the Council cannot control this. Only if a planning application were made could the trees possibly be protected.

As a result of this information I will seek a TPO to protect all of its trees - if it is not possible to cover them all, then to at least seek TPO protection for the two Cedar trees that would have been planted by 'Capability Brown' in c1782 (like the ones in the gardens of St James Way which are given protection by virtue of them being in a Conservation Area). These must be protected! 


Jean Gammons.