This administration claims to be Green to the core. If this is the case why are National Highways being allowed to get away with allowing 80% of the trees, shrubs and hedgerow which they have planted along the A14 to die. Thousands of established trees, bushes and hedgerows were removed along the route which we were assured would be replaced twofold (Environment - Highways England (nationalhighways.co.uk).
This council condemns the inadequate provision of replacement trees, shrubs and hedgerows along the A14 and will write to National Highways demanding replacement plants are provided, planted, watered and cared for until they are established.
Decision:
Council Agreed the following motion:
This Council has a policy of being Green to its core. National Highways, in the construction of the A14, have failed to adequately maintain and nurture the newly planted trees, shrubs and bushes. According to a 2020 survey, 94% of the trees planted had died. These were intended to replace thousands of established trees, bushes and hedgerows which were removed along the route which we were assured would be replaced twofold (Environment – National Highways (nationalhighways.co.uk).
National Highways has therefore failed to deliver the large tree planting initiative that was intended to be an important part of the environmental legacy of the project. This Council notes the following statement from National Highways issued in the last few days, in response to a County Council motion adopted last week.
This Council condemns the inadequate provision of replacement trees, shrubs and hedgerows along the A14 and will write to National Highways demanding replacement plants are provided, planted, watered and cared for until they are established, state that it will be monitoring the progress of these remedial actions, will hold them to account in order to deliver on the environmental legacy promised, and to ensure that the same problems do not arise on the similar and imminent A428 project.
Minutes:
This administration claims to be Green to the core. If this is the case why are National Highways being allowed to get away with allowing 80% of the trees, shrubs and hedgerow which they have planted along the A14 to die. Thousands of established trees, bushes and hedgerows were removed along the route which we were assured would be replaced twofold (Environment - Highways England (nationalhighways.co.uk).
This council condemns the inadequate provision of replacement trees, shrubs and hedgerows along the A14 and will write to National Highways demanding replacement plants are provided, planted, watered and cared for until they are established.
Councillor Sue Ellington explained that the A14 improvements had resulted in the removal of trees, bushes and the established wildlife. Highways England had promised to replace these with trees and hedges but approximately 95% of these had died as they had not been properly cared for. She urged Council to support the motion.
Councillor Brian Milnes proposed the following amendments to the Motion:
This
administration claims to beThis
Council has
a policy of being Green to the
Core. National Highways, in the construction of the A14, have
failed to adequately maintain and nurture the newly planted trees,
shrubs and bushes. According to a 2020 survey, 94% of the trees
planted had died. These were intended toreplace. If this is the case why
are National Highways being allowed to get away with allowing 80%
of the trees, shrubs and hedgerow which
they have planted along the A14 to die. Thousands of
established trees, bushes and hedgerows which were removed
along the route which we were assured would be replaced twofold
(Environment
- Highways England
(nationalhighways.co.uk).
National Highways has therefore failed to deliver the large tree planting initiative that was intended to be an important part of the environmental legacy of the project. This Council notes the following statement from National Highways issued in the last few days, in response to a County Council motion adopted last week.
This council condemns the inadequate provision of replacement trees, shrubs and hedgerows along the A14 and will write to National Highways demanding replacement plants are provided, planted, watered and cared for until they are established, state that it will be monitoring the progress of these remedial actions, will hold them to account in order to deliver on the environmental legacy promised, and to ensure that the same problems do not arise on the similar and imminent A428 project.
Councillor Sue Ellington agreed to these amendments which were then accepted without debate.
Councillor Brian Milnes updated Council with a response from National Highways to a similar motion from the County Council. He stated that the amendments to the Motion included reference to the A428 in the hope that National Highways would learn from their mistakes.
Councillor Pippa Heylings stated that trees in the Histon and Impington ward had been removed without consultation and members of the community had replanted trees to replace those which had died. She urged Council to support the Motion to avoid a repetition of these errors.
Councillor Heather Williams expressed her support for the Motion and suggested that alternatives to the plastic wrappers being put on the saplings should be considered.
Councillor Neil Gough supported this Motion and expressed the hope that lessons could be learned by National Highways for their impending work on the A428. He praised the officers for their work in communicating this.
Councillor Martin Cahn stated that planting trees properly was not a simple job and that it was vitally important that competent people were contracted to carry out this work.
Councillor Anna Bradnam added that she had experience of tree planting. Saplings needed to be monitored and watered for a year after planting. Both the location and the soil needed to be carefully considered and the plastic tubes needed to be removed at the appropriate time.
Councillor Bridget Smith praised the work that the Senior Planner (Strategic Sites) had done in liaising with National Highways on the A428. The evidence suggested that successive planting was necessary and planting in the winter was preferable.
Councillor Bunty Waters regretted the waste of money of planting trees that died. 16 miles of trees were required to provide a buffer against noise and have clear ecological benefits and this was area of local concern. She wanted assurance that the dead trees would be replanted. She urged Council to support the Motion.
Councillor Sue Ellington provided details of the advantages of trees in absorbing carbons, reducing the amount of sound from the road and sustaining wildlife. She urged Council to support the Motion.
Councillor Sue Ellington proposed and Councillor Bunty Waters seconded the Motion. A vote was taken and by affirmation, Council Agreed the following motion:
This Council has a policy of being Green to its core. National Highways, in the construction of the A14, have failed to adequately maintain and nurture the newly planted trees, shrubs and bushes. According to a 2020 survey, 94% of the trees planted had died. These were intended to replace thousands of established trees, bushes and hedgerows which were removed along the route which we were assured would be replaced twofold (Environment – National Highways (nationalhighways.co.uk).
National Highways has therefore failed to deliver the large tree planting initiative that was intended to be an important part of the environmental legacy of the project. This Council notes the following statement from National Highways issued in the last few days, in response to a County Council motion adopted last week.
This Council condemns the inadequate provision of replacement trees, shrubs and hedgerows along the A14 and will write to National Highways demanding replacement plants are provided, planted, watered and cared for until they are established, state that it will be monitoring the progress of these remedial actions, will hold them to account in order to deliver on the environmental legacy promised, and to ensure that the same problems do not arise on the similar and imminent A428 project.