An election candidate says he was “shocked” to discover that nearly 1,000 trees have been felled across Hertsmere over the last few years.

Dr Dan Ozarow, who is standing to be a councillor in the Borehamwood Kenilworth ward, submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request because he was interested to find out how many trees had been lost in the borough.

Over the last couple of years, Dr Ozarow joined a residents’ campaign to try and save two oak trees from being pulled down in Ely Gardens, Borehamwood.

Hertsmere Borough Council said the trees needed to be felled following evidence provided by property owners that they were causing subsidence.

In total, three oak trees have been under threat in Ely Gardens - one tree was felled in 2018 – and a second last year – although campaigners were able to save a larger oak tree from destruction.

Dan Ozarow pictured at a protest in Ely Gardens in 2019

Dan Ozarow pictured at a protest in Ely Gardens in 2019

Recently, the council announced plans to plant 1,000 new trees this year. Conservative environmental portfolio holder Seamus Quilty described it as "excellent news" but Labour candidate Dr Ozarow does not seem so convinced by the plans.

He told the Times: "I submitted this FOI request because the Save the Ely Gardens Oaks campaign made myself and other Borehamwood residents very sceptical of Hertsmere Borough Council’s gung-ho approach to tree felling, especially when it almost chopped down the wrong ancient English Oak by mistake in the autumn.

"I was shocked to discover that 952 trees have been felled across the borough since 2016. Whilst I welcome the council’s announcement of the planting of the equivalent number of saplings this year, this amounts to enormous net carbon absorption loss."

A tree planting event by Hertsmere Borough Council in Aberford Park. Photo taken pre-Covid

A tree planting event by Hertsmere Borough Council in Aberford Park. Photo taken pre-Covid

Dr Ozarow says the average ten-year-old tree absorbs 22,000 grams of carbon per year, and he believes oaks like the ones in Ely Gardens store five times as much.

The by-election candidate, who is vying to win this seat in Kenilworth at the third attempt, says the saplings the council is newly planting only absorbs around 6,000 grams of carbon per year.

He said: "This places the sincerity of the council leadership's commitment to tackling the climate crisis and to reaching its own carbon neutral targets into doubt.

"Sadly, it also exposes its recent tree-planting announcement to little more than a photo opportunity. If elected as Borehamwood Kenilworth councillor on May 6, I will join my Labour colleagues in calling for three trees to be planted for every one felled from the floor of the council chamber."

The three trees in Ely Gardens before two were cut down. Cllr Seamus Quilty said in 2019 this is due subsidence damage being caused by their roots.

The three trees in Ely Gardens before two were cut down. Cllr Seamus Quilty said in 2019 this is due subsidence damage being caused by their roots.

In his FOI, Dr Ozarow also asked how many of the 952 trees in Hertsmere had been felled in error. The response he was received was zero, but he says that council representatives have told residents that the tree cut down in Ely Gardens in 2018 was a "mistake".

Resident Glyn Lantaff, who co-led the Ely Gardens campaign, also told the Times in 2019: "We were assured that when the council cut down a tree last year, it was a mistake, and that the other trees were safe."

Dr Ozarow said he is demanding "full and open investigation into what he claims is a cover-up of the number of trees chopped down in error".

Cllr Quilty was contacted for his thoughts on Dr Ozarow’s comments but the Times did not receive a response.