Enfield Council agrees out-of-court settlement with owner of Toby Carvery over Whitewebbs oak tree

Pub company Mitchell & Butlers will donate an undisclosed sum of money to the council’s major tree-planting project at Enfield Chase

The felled Whitewebbs oak and (inset) Toby Carvery

Enfield Council has reached an out-of-court settlement with pub company Mitchell & Butlers (M&B) – a year after the felling of a 500-year-old oak tree at Whitewebbs caused widespread outrage.

M&B’s boss had previously issued an apology for the incident close to the Toby Carvery at Whitewebbs House and claimed that “the people involved did act in good faith and with good intentions”.

However, the apology was not enough to stop the council taking legal action against M&B, which owns Toby Carvery, and issuing the company with an eviction order. Then-deputy leader Tim Leaver said that they had “failed to engage meaningfully with the council or to make reparations” and that the council had “therefore started forfeiture proceedings for serious breaches of their lease”.

Five months after the legal notice was issued, a settlement between the council and M&B has been announced – although the figure involved has not been revealed, despite a press request from the Dispatch to disclose the sum.

The unknown quantity of cash is being donated by M&B specifically to support the council’s Enfield Chase Landscape Restoration scheme, which is London’s largest tree-planting project.

In a joint statement issued late yesterday (Wednesday 10th), the council and M&B state: “We recognise that the felling of a well-loved veteran tree within the grounds of the Toby Carvery, Whitewebbs, has upset many local people, and we fully understand the strength of feeling this has caused. Mitchells & Butlers again, sincerely apologises for the upset this has caused.

“M&B and Enfield Council agree that, while ensuring the health and safety of the public must remain paramount, communication and engagement in relation to decisions affecting the local environment are important objectives and they will continue to work together constructively on these matters.

“Enfield Council recognises that M&B acted on the recommendation of reputable, professional advisors in taking the steps that it did, for the purpose of mitigating any health and safety risk to guests, team members and the wider public arising from the condition of the tree.

“Both M&B and Enfield Council remain committed to being responsible custodians of the local environment. As a public demonstration of its commitment M&B has agreed to contribute to the costs incurred on treatment to the tree and in addition to make a donation towards the council’s Enfield Chase Landscape Restoration scheme, London’s largest woodland and nature restoration initiative.

“M&B’s donation will enable the restoration of an historic lost orchard along the Ridgeway corridor within the wider Enfield Chase Landscape Restoration scheme. This will re-establish a publicly accessible community orchard, restore landscape character and biodiversity, and provide locally grown fruit for residents and visitors. In addition, M&B’s donation will enable the planting and maintenance of a thousand new trees surrounding and connecting the orchard habitat, contributing to nature recovery, climate resilience, public access, and landscape-scale ecological restoration.

“M&B’s donation to the Enfield Chase Landscape Restoration scheme will further Enfield Council’s Blue and Green Strategy and is in line with M&B’s wider sustainability objectives.

“The parties now consider this matter closed.”

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