Hello can any details be given on where the subsidence is taking place and on which property?

Thank you for submitting your objection to the proposed removal of the thorn tree outside 11-13 Ellora Road. As the Local Authority, we seek to retain healthy street trees wherever possible due to the significant environmental and amenity benefits they provide. We actively promote these benefits; however, the Council also has a legal obligation to take action where clear evidence demonstrates a link between a tree and structural damage. The decision to remove the thorn tree follows a detailed review of evidence supplied by the claimant’s insurers. These evaluations enable us to reach balanced, evidence-based decisions while continuing to safeguard the wider benefits that trees bring to the community. The Council cannot disclose the address of the affected property. This information was supplied by the claimant with a clear and reasonable expectation of confidentiality as part of private insurance and subsidence investigations. Disclosure would constitute an actionable breach of confidence, and the Council therefore relies on Section 41(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Information on previously settled and repudiated claims is freely available on the Lambeth council web page, in accordance with GDPR requirements: https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/about-council/transparency-open-data/insurance-claims The following documents have been received from the claimants’ insurers: • A Structural Surveyor’s Investigation Report. • Foundation details, borehole logs, and soil analysis. • Root identification evidence recovered from boreholes at foundation depth, confirming the presence of roots from the council-owned tree beneath the property foundations. • Level monitoring data demonstrating significant seasonal movement, with the direction and magnitude of movement indicating the implicated highway tree as the primary influence. • An Arboricultural Report recommending removal of the thorn tree. All documentation commissioned by the insurer has been reviewed and independently scrutinised by a council Arboricultural Officer. On the balance of probabilities, the evidence indicates that the property has experienced subsidence damage attributable to vegetation-related soil moisture variation. As an initial mitigation measure, crown reduction works were carried out in March 2025 to reduce the tree’s water demand. Subsequent monitoring has demonstrated that this intervention has been ineffective in this instance, with continued seasonal movement of the property recorded. It has therefore been concluded that removal of the implicated tree represents the only viable, proportionate, and cost effective remedial option to minimise ongoing damage. Subject to available funding, the council will consider suitable replacement tree planting at this location as part of its wider planting programme. Any replacement planting will be prioritised in line with the criteria set out in the Lambeth Urban Forest Strategy : https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-11/Lambeth%20Urban%20Forest%20Strategy.pdf