Rail Company Attacked Over Tree Clearance

11.12.52am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 14th May 2003

Vincent Cable with local child

Hampton Hill residents have stopped Network Rail from large-scale clearance of bushes and trees around local embankments, which were destroying bird nesting sites and destroying the amenity of homes.

This follows an angry public meeting in Hampton Wick last Thursday where over 100 residents confronted Network Rail officials over the continued blight and vandalism around Hampton Wick station following tree demolition a year ago.

Vincent Cable, MP, who attended both events has co-sponsored an Early Day Motion (EDM 1082) signed by 22 Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs "deploring Network Rails lack of public consultations regarding tree clearance work and the poor standard of work carried out" and calls for Network Rail to "fulfil its corporate social responsibility" by consulting with wildlife groups and affected home owners.

Vincent Cable said: "It is essential, of course, that Network Rail keep the track safe and this may well involve cutting back trees and undergrowth. But their contractors have a mechanical, insensitive, 'slash and burn' approach which causes enormous unnecessary damage and loss of amenity. "

"If residents treated trees in their premises in the casual way that Network Rail does, they would be in serious trouble with council conservation officers' but Network Rail seems to be a law until itself. "

"This isn't just a local issue; MPs from Cornwall, North Wales, Sheffield, Birmingham, Hull, Portsmouth, Brighton and many other areas have signed this motion."