Network Rail says sorry for tree felling
NETWORK RAIL has apologised to locals after a number of trees were cut down on land near Carbis Bay and St Ives.
Cornwall residents who live near the St Ives branch line were dismayed when a number of ash trees were felled last month. An area of land next to the railway line, which recently underwent a £3 million improvement programme, was levelled at Porthminster Point, between Carbis Bay and St Ives.
One local labelled it “butchery”, while another said: “Absolutely disgusting! Who gives permission for all these trees to be felled? I thought with climate change we should be planting trees!”
Another resident added: “This has completely changed the feel of the environment and no doubt had a negative impact on the ecology of the site. This looked pretty unusual and seemed completely over the top for the management that needs to take place along the railway line to ensure its safe running. It also seems to go against all of Network Rail’s many environmental policies.”
Recently, felling of trees by Carbis Bay Hotel to make way for meeting rooms for the G7 Summit, which it is hosting in June, caused so much consternation that a protest of around 200 people took place on the village’s beach.
Network Rail has stressed that the Porthminster Point work had nothing to do with the tree felling at the hotel but has apologised to locals for the incident which “did not meet the high standards we set ourselves”.
Network Rail’s western route director Chris Pearce wrote to residents who had complained about the loss of the trees. He said: “I’m sorry for the distress this situation has caused you and other local residents. I appreciate how alarming it must have been for you to discover a number of trees had been cut down in your local area.
“We work really hard to manage the many millions of trees adjacent to the railway line and, on this occasion, we’ve not met our standards, for which we apologise.”
Mr Pearce added: “We are actively managing the habitat, including trees, adjacent to the railway much more effectively than we have in the past.
“This includes actively removing trees that are close to the railway to reduce the risk posed by falling trees, reduced visibility and leaf fall.
“We remove trees in a careful manner, putting in place protective measures to protect birds and other affected species, and replant for lower-level vegetation which is less likely to pose a safety risk to the railway.
“Whilst on this occasion we did give permission for the work on our land at a request of a third party, which was carried out by an approved contractor and at their expense, it is highly probable that we would have removed these trees in the future because of their proximity to the railway.”