Fight is on to save our trees
AS WORKERS ARE BLOCKED, RAIL BOSSES CITE SAFETY ISSUES
FOR years, Gail Gribbin’s enjoyed a “beautiful” view from her Wallsend window.
But now Nexus are chopping down the trees - and she’s furious.
So rather than sit back and do nothing - she used her Vauxhall Zafira to BLOCK workers in a desperate bid to save her beloved foliage.
“This is going to make it louder, and it will affect the house prices,” she fumed.
“And this beautiful view we’ve had will be gone - we will just be left staring at the tracks.”
Nexus say the work is “vital” for the safety of Metro drivers. The operator say the work could also reduce delays.
“We cut down trees and shrubs within 3.5 metres of the track so that drivers can see signals and the line ahead, branches don’t interfere with power lines and workers have safe spaces to stand,” said a Nexus spokesperson.
“This also reduces the problem of leaf pulp building up on rails causing delays to trains.
“We protect nesting birds and wildlife habitats when we work, leaving log piles for insects, allowing regrowth and encouraging native species, in line with expert conservation advice.
“We are currently removing trees and shrubs opposite homes in South Terrace in Wallsend and we have spoken to residents about why the work is vital and what we do to protect habitats.”
The 51-year-old gets why the lines need to be kept safe. She isn’t against that aspect.
But she claims they were only told about the work a week ago.
“Nexus say they will replant next year, and if they do then that’s fine, and I get why they need to get rid of some of the bigger trees,” she said.
“But they are getting rid of the whole green corridor.
“It is a beautiful view, stunning – we don’t even close our blinds so we have the full view of the trees.
“Especially now in the autumn people go to America just to see a view we have on our back doorstep.
“Now that’s going to be stripped away from us.”
And according to Gail, her onewoman protest worked - for now.
After waking at the crack of dawn to block the workers coming through, she claims staff decided to “leave it”.
And even if the greenery is replaced, Gail adds: “This has taken 40 years to grow - it won’t be replaced overnight.
“We are going to have a couple of years of bleakness.”