Enfield Council has launched legal proceedings against Mitchells & Butlers PLC over the partial felling of the Whitewebbs Oak at Whitewebbs Park, on land leased to the company. Cllr Tim Leaver, deputy leader of Enfield Council, said: “The destruction of the ancient Whitewebbs Oak was a reckless act which caused huge damage to the tree and cut its expected lifespan. It shocked and angered our entire community.”
The council has served a formal Section 146 notice under the Law of Property Act 1925, citing serious breaches of the lease, and has now commenced forfeiture proceedings in Edmonton County Court after Mitchells & Butlers failed to respond meaningfully. The proceedings, filed on November 4, 2025, could result in the company losing the lease for the Toby Carvery.
Cllr Leaver added: “This centuries-old tree, sometimes known as the Guy Fawkes Oak, was an irreplaceable part of Enfield’s natural heritage and was felled without the Council’s knowledge or consent, in clear breach of the lease governing the site.”
The oak, estimated to be 450–500 years old with a girth of 6 metres and a crown approximately 20 metres high, had been listed on the Woodland Trust’s ancient tree inventory since 2020. Its partial felling in April 2025 removed the main stem, ancient pollard poles and branches, leaving a four-metre stump and a six-metre lopped pollard pole.
Experts say the tree would have supported more than 2,000 species of birds, bats, insects and fungi, with a remaining life expectancy of over 80 years.
Cllr Leaver said: “Enfield Council has served a formal Section 146 notice on Mitchells & Butlers, the company responsible for the Toby Carvery at Whitewebbs Park. They have failed to engage meaningfully with the Council or to make reparations. We have therefore started forfeiture proceedings for serious breaches of their lease.”
He added: “We ask that Mitchells & Butlers issues a public apology and provides financial reparations for the irreversible damage they have caused as well as compensate the Council for the significant costs incurred.”
The council is working with arboriculture experts to preserve what remains of the tree and its surrounding habitat. Cllr Leaver said: “The people of Enfield deserve accountability. This case is about upholding our duty to protect our environment and our shared heritage. We will do everything within our power to ensure justice for the Whitewebbs Oak and seek to make it clear that such reckless disregard for our borough will never be tolerated.”
The case is expected to proceed to trial later this year or early next year, marking a rare instance of a council seeking forfeiture of a lease over the destruction of a single tree.
Express.co.uk has contacted Mitchells & Butlers PLC for comment.
