RESIDENTS living in roads along the A38 in Bromsgrove have hit out at contractors who have felled numerous mature trees.
The Standard was contacted by a number of people about the work which has been taking place this week on the stretch after the Oakalls Island, near the pedestrian footbridge on the side of the carriageway going towards Worcester.
Residents said, whilst they knew the work was being carried out and some trees would be sacrificed, the details they received were ‘pretty vague’ and they were not prepared for the extent of the destruction.
Picture by Christian Weston. s
One resident – Rosie Deakin from West Road – told the Standard: “I had seen pictures of the trees that were cut down and some of my neighbours were so upset, they were in tears.
“I did not want to go out to see it for myself to begin with as I could not face seeing it in person.
“When I did go, it was heartbreaking to see the trees and all the spring flowers had been destroyed.”
Fears were also expressed about the ‘loss of a sound barrier’ between the homes and the main road and the fact that each of those
“The environmental damage caused by the destruction of these trees during nesting season is devastating.
“It will take a generation before they are replaced and the trees acted as a sound barrier for residents whose houses back onto the road.
“A38 improvements are one thing, tree felling on this scale is quite another – and no-one told residents this was happening.
“It’s just appalling.”
Air quality fears
Residents also said they feared the impact on Bromsgrove’s air quality.
Ms Deakin said statistics showed, in one year, one mature tree of that age absorbed 48lbs of carbon dioxide.
The felling has led to fears being expressed over the air quality in Bromsgrove due to vehicle pollution. Residents added this was only going to make it worse and have an adverse impact on an already worrying situation.
Ms Deakin also said she was concerned the fact it was during bird nest season which, she added, could have legal ramifications under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act.
A Worcestershire County Council spokesperson said: “The trees are being removed as part of the preparatory works for the A38 improvements, with the vegetation clearance having been kept to a minimum.
“We are able to undertake vegetation clearance at this time of year provided it has been supervised by a suitably qualified and experienced ecologist who has undertaken a survey and confirmed that there are no active nests prior to the works taking place.
“We’re committed to replace each tree we remove with two new trees. Where it is possible to do so, this will be in the immediate vicinity of where we have removed trees but obviously this will not always be possible.
“The replacement trees will include field maple, silver birch, hawthorn, hazel, alder and small leaved lime. They will be mostly 1m-1.5m in height as smaller trees establish better and have a increased survival rate.
“We will also be installing bat and bird boxes and planting native spring bulbs along the route as part of the works.”
