Campaign’s tasty answer to ‘killer pears’ dilemma

I HEARTILY endorse the points Emma Dixon, of Islington Green Party, makes regarding the importance of preserving existing street fruit trees, and making use of their produce (Harvest our street trees, December 18).
This approach should certainly inform Islington Council’s proposed tree policy, currently undergoing consultation, as it fits exactly with its far-sighted policies on biodiversity and community food growing.  
I would however like to correct Emma’s account of the background to the “killer pears” story. What she fails to mention is the vigorous campaign by residents which first drew public attention to the proposal to fell the pear trees in St John’s Villas, Archway.
The residents’ campaign attracted valuable support from ward councillors, and this, together with media publicity, was undoubtedly an important factor in the successful outcome.  
More recently, it is thanks to a partnership between the residents’ ever-vigilant pear tree support group and the council that the present solution has been arrived at.
The council picks the pears, which therefore no longer present a hazard.
Good media publicity results, and the community benefits from using the fruit. Everyone wins.
Incidentally, readers may wish to know of a new project called Urban Harvest (www.UrbanHarvest.org.uk), which aims to spread the word about picking and sharing the tree fruit in our area which would otherwise go to waste.
If you have a tree near you that needs picking, let us know.
Jane Howard
St John’s Villas, N19

• AS Islington Council’s arboricultural manager, I was surprised to read the letter on street trees.
Nowhere in the new policy, which is now out for consultation, do we say we would remove trees due to the size of their fruit.
We would like to assure readers that it is not our intention to remove trees for these reasons.
In order to remove any ambiguity we will clearly state in the final document that “trees will not be removed due to the size or condition of their fruit”.
The policy is out for consultation, and we welcome all comments, as it is our aim to have one of the strongest and most robust tree policies in the capital, to protect and enhance Islington’s urban forest. The policy can be downloaded on the council’s website and consultation leaflets are available in libraries and the Green Living Centre.
We are planting 1,000 trees in Islington, and the council’s tree service was voted winner of the London Tree and Woodland Award for “excellence in tree and woodland work by a public body” by the Greater London Authority and Forestry Commission.
This, I hope, demonstrates the council’s commitment towards trees within the borough.
Jake Tibbetts
Arboricultural manager, Islington Council