Tree damage pauses walking and cycling scheme
Nadia Lincoln/LDRSThe second phase of a £4.7m project to get more people walking and cycling in a town has been paused over concerns about damage to trees.
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) had already begun the second phase of the Abington Active Travel Scheme, along Park Avenue South and Bridgewater Drive in Northampton, when residents' protests brought it to a halt.
They said irreversible damage had been caused to the roots of a mature silver birch and had concerns about other trees along the route.
The council said the tree had to be removed for safety reasons and work on that section had been paused, pending a review to ensure no additional trees were damaged.
The active travel scheme is intended to get more people moving by using new, improved footways and segregated cycle lanes, and to reduce congestion and lower carbon emissions.
A residents' group was recently formed in the area after news about damage to the tree came out, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
They have requested information from the council about tree protection measures, and presented a petition, signed by almost 80 people who shared their concerns.
Nadia Lincoln/LDRSMore from Northamptonshire:
Anne Hill, from the residents' group, said: "We are not against walking or cycling. Like everyone else, we want safer, greener neighbourhoods.
"We simply want to be confident that every reasonable step has been taken to protect these mature trees before irreversible work begins."
Weston Favell and Abington Vale Conservative councillor, Andrew Kilbride, said the council had to learn lessons from the damage and apply them to future projects regarding tree roots.
"I cannot believe that they did not realise that the roots would be going under the footpath - due diligence wasn't done," he said.
Richard Butler, cabinet member for highways and transport at the Reform UK-led council, said it was "vital that we protect and even enhance the environment while we carry out this work, to try and make the scheme benefit everyone".
He added: "We will provide further updates as the review progresses and before any additional work resumes on Bridgewater Drive."
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