Toby Carvery owner ‘sorry’ for felling ancient tree

The chief executive of the company which felled an ancient oak has apologised and admitted, “We need to tighten our protocols,” in a letter to locals seen by the BBC.
The owners of pub chain Toby Carvery cut down the 500-year-old oak despite a March 2024 planning document that called it a “fine specimen”, and the council stated it had centuries to live.
Phil Urban, from Mitchells & Butlers, wrote: “Clearly the felling of a beautiful old tree is a very emotive subject and is not something any of us would undertake lightly. I can only apologise for all the upset that it has caused.”
On Wednesday, Enfield Council’s leader branded it “an outrage” and said all legal options were being considered.
The pedunculate oak, which was cut down on 3 April, was located on the edge of Enfield council-owned Whitewebbs Park in north London and overlooked a Toby Carvery.

Source: BBC | Language: English