The company identified as carrying out the partial felling of a 500-year-old oak tree in a North London park, an incident that prompted public and parliamentary outrage a year ago, is Ground Control. The controversial removal of part of the ancient tree in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, occurred on April 4, 2025. The work was commissioned by Mitchells & Butlers Retail (MBR), which owns the Toby Carvery restaurant chain located in the park.

For twelve months, the identity of the contractor involved remained undisclosed, fueling questions and intensifying scrutiny of the decision to fell the historic oak. Ground Control, a firm that characterizes itself as a prominent maintenance and biodiversity expert with a significant turnover, reportedly accepted the commission to remove sections of the tree. According to available documentation, the company justified its actions by citing a substantial split in one of the tree's primary branches, asserting that the felling was necessary to ensure public safety in the vicinity.

Mitchells & Butlers Retail had previously maintained that its "specialist arboriculture contractors" had assessed the oak as unsafe. The company stated that a considerable split and areas of dead wood presented a serious health and safety risk, necessitating its removal. However, this rationale has been strongly contested by independent experts. An investigator from the Forest Commission, after examining the site, reportedly found minimal evidence to support the claim that the tree's condition necessitated felling.

Dr. Ed Pyne, a conservation adviser at the Woodland Trust, voiced significant concern regarding the year-long delay in identifying the contractor. "It is tragic it has taken a year to find out who was behind the felling of this tree," Pyne stated. He further questioned the fundamental justification for the action: "What is the evidence that the tree was dangerous? What level of qualification and competency did Ground Control operatives have when they made this decision? We haven’t heard any solid justification for why this tree was removed."

In the wake of the felling, and following Mitchells & Butlers Retail's refusal to issue an apology or offer compensation for the environmental damage, Enfield Council initiated legal proceedings against the company. The council’s action seeks the eviction of Toby Carvery from the premises. Both Mitchells & Butlers Retail and Ground Control have declined to offer further commentary on the developing situation, citing the ongoing legal process. Jason Knights, the Chief Executive Officer of Ground Control, confirmed this position, stating his company is "not in a position to comment" due to the continuing legal matter.