Why Campaign For Clean Air Yet Destroy the Very Trees That Provide It?

Across Havering, countless residents are opposing proposals for development on Green Belt land. Let us take a step back in time. Spring and summers were full of birds. Trees were their habitat and swallows marked the start of summer. Endless insects arrived, noticeable in your garden. Foxes were heard at night. Badger setts were visible in fields. Our wildlife was present.

As studies show, wildlife across the UK has been in long‑term decline, with average species abundance falling by nearly 19 per cent since records began in 1970, and almost one in six species now at risk of being lost from Great Britain. Birds, amphibians, reptiles, fungi and mammals have all shown declines, and woodland bird numbers have fallen sharply over recent decades. Habitat loss and degradation are among the main drivers of these declines.

Trees are vital. We publicly promote clean air campaigns yet we fail to protect the trees that produce the clean air we so desperately need. London is home to more than eight million trees, supporting over 13,000 species of wildlife including more than 300 bird species and 1,500 flowering plants, but biodiversity continues to face threats from habitat loss and fragmentation.

Despite ongoing planting efforts, woodland condition across the UK remains poor. A major new report shows that woodland birds have reduced by around 37 per cent in the past 50 years, the population of dormice in surveyed woodlands has fallen by about 70 per cent between 2000 and 2022, and plant species richness has declined by more than 20 per cent over the long term.

Development is proceeding at a time when the need for trees and wildlife habitat has never been more pressing. In Hornchurch, two car parks that once had trees on their borders have now lost those trees. It may seem insignificant to some, but it is another loss of habitat. Trees serve as homes to wildlife, support insects, birds and mammals, and play a vital role in mitigating pollution and buffering urban heat.

Residents are fighting proposed developments on Green Belt land in Hornchurch and North Ockendon, areas rich in wildlife and cherished by local communities. These are places where foxes, birds, insects and other species have lived and thrived over generations. London’s wildlife and trees are part of our shared environment, and their decline reflects wider national and global trends that scientists and conservation organisations have documented over many years.

We must recognise that protecting trees and wildlife is not just about preserving scenic views. It is about safeguarding ecosystems that support clean air, climate resilience and biodiversity for current and future generations. Our actions today will determine whether the natural richness of our borough can endure or whether it will continue to diminish.

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