Campaigners have won a stay of execution for a 120-year-old plane tree in Haringey.

Haringey Tree Protectors (HTP) have been locked in a battle with Haringey Council over the felling of the tree in Oakfield Road, Stroud Green.

Insurance company Allianz, working through loss adjustors Crawford & Company, say the tree is the primary cause of subsidence to a nearby property.

They are calling for Haringey Council to admit liability for up to £400,000 worth of damages as well as demanding that the tree be felled.

But the campaigners have been fighting for nine months to save the tree claiming there is no evidence to prove this and trying to prevent it being chopped down. 

Haringey Council took HTP to court last month to gain possession of the tree and seek an injunction against the community group with powers to arrest protesters.

The hearing at Clerkenwell County Court on December 21, saw the council get possession of the tree but its request for an injunction was rejected.

The hearing was then deferred until March.

Haringey Council said by the end of February, the Financial Ombudsman is expected to decide on the complaint made by the home owners that may or may not force their insurers to underpin.

A spokesperson for Haringey Tree Protectors said the courts decision to defer the case was "an achievement for all tree campaigners". 

"It is worth standing up, making it as difficult as possible for those acting improperly or unreasonably,and publicising the important tree cases we care about – as well as getting them noted in courts of law," they added.

"Ultimately, we need our council to live up to its leader, Cllr Peray Ahmet’s pledge to make Haringey ‘a fairer,greener borough.’

"In Haringey alone there are more than 200 trees facing similar threats from home insurers and nationally, droughts in the climate crisis have increased subsidence claims by 200% this year (2022). 

"The attack on our mature trees will only get worse."

They said 1,572 people have signed the Haringey Tree Protectors petition, while more than 120 people "have been mobilising to protect the tree".

"This week,our voices were heard," they added.

Cllr Peray Ahmet, leader of Haringey Council, said: “We appreciate and understand the strength of feeling that the removal of trees invokes among some residents in our borough.

“We are responsible for approximately 40,000 trees in the borough, and, in the vast majority of cases, only remove trees that are either dead, diseased or dying.

"However, there are occasionally times, such as the one on Oakfield Road, where a tree needs to be removed because of its likely contribution to subsidence to adjoining homes.

“We have been fighting to save this tree since the original claim was made in 2015.  

"But the technical opinion we have received supports the requirement for this tree to be removed as it is likely that it is contributing to the subsidence issues.

"Having considered this matter in the light of expert opinion, the council considers that felling the tree would be the correct thing to do in the circumstances.

“If the tree remains the council may face an insurance claim of more than £400,000. 

"Should the council be held liable, that cost would need to be met by us rather than an insurance company or any other organisation. 

"Such a large sum of money would have a significant impact on delivering key frontline service areas our residents rely on.  

"We therefore had no option other than to apply to the court for an order for possession of the tree and this was granted on Wednesday.”

To sign the petition visit change.org/help-save-stroud-green-plane-tree