Climate activists occupy tunnel underneath ‘little forest’ in London

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A tunnel network in central London has been occupied by environmental protesters opposing plans by a local authority to cut down urban trees to make way for social housing. 

Police and bailiffs are trying to evict activists from the site near a busy roundabout on Highbury Corner, home to six mature trees.

The climate activists have been living on the site for almost four months to try to save the trees, which are due to be felled in favour of a six-storey block of flats.

Protesters from the Highbury Corner Protection Camp said bailiffs had discovered their “cunningly-concealed” tunnel entrance early on Tuesday – but said the authorities had not been able to remove activists still hidden in the tunnel network.

It is not known how many people remain underground, but the group said they were well-stocked with food and other supplies.

“Early this morning, authorities were reeling to discover they’d failed to learn their lesson from [the movie] The Great Escape – that there’s always more than one tunnel,” they said in a statement.

The group added: “At 5am, bailiffs acting under instructions from Islington Council entered the ‘little forest’ of seven mature trees at Dixon Clark Court on Highbury Corner and discovered the tunnel. 

“The entrance was cunningly concealed within a pallet stronghold, fortified with earth from the tunnel itself.”

Council bailiffs were seen evicting other activists from the site on Tuesday – including several people who had set up makeshift tents high in the trees.

Campaigners have argued that the tree haven stands in an area of major traffic congestion and air pollution in the most densely populated London borough.

Maria, one of the protesters in the tunnel, said: “Our governments, local and national, are out of touch and not representing the people. They declare a climate and environment emergency and then carry on destroying trees and countryside. It’s got to stop.”

Diarmaid Ward, the executive member for housing and development at Islington Council, said the new development would result in 25 “desperately needed” new council homes.

He said the project will deliver 63 new trees and 100 square metres of communal garden space for residents. “The council has done everything we can to avoid taking legal and enforcement action and had reached an agreement with XR, the initial group of protesters, that they would leave the site voluntarily,” said the councillor.

Mr Ward added: “We have given protesters who chose to remain every opportunity to comply with the directions of the court, including additional time.

“It’s truly disheartening that people who claim to care about both trees and homes have forced an outcome resulting in fewer trees for the borough, significant costs, and further delays to building much-need council homes for local families in desperate need.”

It follows the occupation of a tunnel at Euston Square Gardens, near Euston station, by anti-HS2 campaigners.

Last month it emerged that an extensive 100ft tunnel has been dug out by the activists in front of Euston station, in protest at the work on the high-speed rail link.

HS2 Rebellion has called on the government to scrap the “expensive, unpopular and destructive” railway scheme and claims plans will see Euston Square Gardens built over with a temporary taxi rank before being sold to developers.

Protesters said the tunnel at Highbury Corner was not part of the campaign to stop HS2, but had been built by the same people.

Additional reporting by PA