Rather than remove veteran trees in one hit, I prefer 'managed decline' .
Yes it's going to suffer a bit, maybe retrench lower down in the canopy, and gradually need more bits cut off here and there over time, but big old veteran trees become the habitat for many critters and plants and fungi. Think of the hollows and stag heads developing on that tree.
For some of them, the beginning of that managed decline is a storm event, or collapse of a major branch.
I will say though it's in a park, so a somewhat sterile environment.
I always say however, if removal is the only option, then telling it's story ahead of the event can help the backlash. For a tree that has been part of the scene for so long, allowing people to come to terms with it's demise can go a long way towards a smoother removal.
I'll never forget rounding a corner to see a gaping hole where a veteran tree had once stood for as long as I could ever remember. Yes, it had been damaged in a hurricane and was a safety issue to the roadway, but it was just gone, Bam, from one day to the next. I was very upset that the Government (it was on crown land) had not thought to give the community a heads up. Many woodworkers, cabinet makers, and just people would have loved to take the wood, it went to the dump. Ebony. Same deal with a row of old olives, no forethought.
Bit of a soap box for me.
