Great Western Coffee Shop

Fears plans to fell every tree at Dorking Deepdene 'could lead to structural issues'

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Concerns about the proposed upgrade of Dorking Deepdene railway station have been raised after residents were reportedly told the plans could include the removal of all the trees around the site.

The news has led to fears the station could become structurally unsound.

The proposal for the station upgrade includes the "removal of vegetation" ^ but residents who attended a public exhibition at the Lincoln Arms this month say they were left shocked after First Great Western's regional manager told them the plan actually involves the felling of every tree around the embankment of the platform.

Concerns have now been raised that the plan would lead to privacy issues for those living in the houses below the platform.

Others have gone so far as to warn cutting down the trees could lead to structural problems.

London Road resident Penny King is now planning to launch a petition with Surrey County Council ^ one of the partners in the development ^ calling for the tree felling to be scrapped.

She told the Advertiser: "We fear that the opportunity will be taken to strip the whole area of trees under the guise of improving safety and security at the station, which is surely an issue caused more by the lack of CCTV at an unmanned station than it is by the trees."

John Meudell, a member of the town centre forum who has raised concerns about the station plans in the past, said that because the vegetation had been allowed to overgrow for so long, if the trees were removed now it could lead to subsidence of the embankment.

Dorking councillor Hazel Watson added: "I am opposed to the proposal to remove all of the trees around Deepdene Station. The trees look attractive and also provide a noise and privacy screen between the station and neighbouring properties. In my view there is no justification for removing the trees."

Writing on the streetlife website, Mrs King added: "At the recent public consultation at Lincoln Arms about changes to local transport, we were really shocked to hear from the regional manager at Great Western that the 'cutting back' of trees growing over the platforms and the removal of 'some vegetation', words used on the display boards, will actually involve the total removal of all trees, shrubs and bushes along both embankments at the station."

No-one from Surrey County Council or First Great Western had responded to calls for a comment as the Advertiser went to press.