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Network Rail apologises to Cornwall residents after tree felling 'butchery' near St Ives

Ash trees were cut down after a request from a 'third party', close to where people are up in arms about Carbis Bay Hotel cutting down trees for a development without permission for the G7 Summit

Network Rail has apologised to locals after a number of trees were cut down on land near Carbis Bay and St Ives. People who live near the St Ives branch line were dismayed when a number of ash trees were felled last month.

The area of land next to the railway line, which recently underwent a £3 million improvement programme, was levelled at Portminster 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 rails many environmental policies.”

It came at the same time as the felling of trees by the 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 beach earlier this month.

Network Rail has stressed that the Porthminster Point work had nothing to do with the tree felling at the Carbis Bay Hotel but has apologised to locals for the incident which “did not meet the high standards we set ourselves”.

A spokesperson for the company which runs Britain’s railways said the felling had been carried out at the same time as the £3m improvements although it had nothing to do with that work and had been carried out at the request of a “third party”.

At times I wonder if it's far more convenient for Network Rail to just go ahead and do something and just say "very sorry" afterwards that go through proper procedures, or maintain something that's of use or beauty, but is expensive to maintain and / or operationally inconvenient.

Many people assume all trees are protected. In fact relatively few are and land owners are free to fell any others without consultation

Actually, that's not correct. There's no carte blanche for tree felling, instead there's a requirement for a felling licence from the Forestry Commission with some (admittedly quite wide ranging) exemptions,

There are exceptions that apply to:
• fruit trees, for example, orchard species
like apple, pear or plum;
• trees standing or growing in an orchard,
garden, churchyard or public open
space; and
• trees growing in the inner London boroughs

I'm surprised GWR haven't complained to Torbay Council about their plans to plant 150 Giant Redwood trees alongside the railway and proposed Edginswell Station.

Service Suspended Leaf on the line!

https://www.torbay.gov.uk/news/pr8294/

Do redwood trees even have leaves, or are they pine needles?   For sure, pine needles carpet forest floors, but are they slippery and as much of a problem on railway tracks as leaves?

Felling is a sensitive issue where trees have grown to form a barrier between the railway and its neighbours. While some felling may be unavoidable because of the safety implications, the visual impact can be lessened by thinning vegetation to form a series of overlapping chevrons at an angle to the track so that the screening effect is maintained. There is also the option of re-planting with more railway-friendly trees such as conifers or small-leaved deciduous saplings.

Do redwood trees even have leaves, or are they pine needles?   For sure, pine needles carpet forest floors, but are they slippery and as much of a problem on railway tracks as leaves?