New trees that have died alongside the A14 won’t be replaced until autumn 2023 at the earliest, Councillor Ros Hathorn has discovered.
More than 800,000 trees were planted during construction work to improve the A14, which included the widening of the section between Histon & Impington and Milton.
The road upgrade involved the highly controversial loss of woodland and felling of mature trees at junction 32, the ‘green gateway’ to the village, and National Highways promised a ‘two for one’ replacement of felled trees in an attempt to make good the loss. But around 70% of the new trees that they planted have since died, and residents are still waiting for them to make good on their promise.
There has been no visible progress so far. Ros is challenging National Highways for explanations and a firm commitment to a new timetable. A National Highways spokesperson has apologised, saying: “I fully understand that concerns raised about previous delays and indeed historic timescales not being met must be incredibly frustrating not only for yourselves but to the local residents you represent.”
Time running out
Before work can start National Highways must complete a replanting strategy, aiming to ensure a similar failure rate doesn’t arise again. They have assured Ros that “funding is available to ensure the replanting is a success” and made a commitment to keep her regularly updated on progress.
Further delays are inevitable though. There is currently up to a four-month national wait for certain species of trees; and the annual planting season runs from September to March, meaning that work to replace the dead trees won’t begin until September 2023 at the earliest.
The National Highways spokesperson commented: “If the weather conditions are favourable this might start slightly earlier. We need to be in a position to act quickly and appropriately should conditions allow/change. We also need to plant the right species, in the right areas, at the right time which is a different approach to previous re-planting.”
Ros has written to National Highways saying she is “deeply disappointed” the work has been so slow to get going, and pointed out that Councillors raised these problems with them in the first half of 2022.
The situation is particularly worrying, as National Highways’ contractual responsibility for the trees lasts only 5 years. Effectively delaying by a whole calendar year means less opportunity for further top-up planting if any of the new trees fail to thrive, as their obligation to the community has less time before it expires.
Expert view
Local residents have also been demanding action. Their questions have prompted National Highways to reveal they have no record of how many trees were initially chopped down. They commented: “The ‘two trees planted for every one tree felled’ slogan that was widely used by National Highways is a little hard to stomach with 70 percent failure rates.”
These residents also point out that the land near the Holiday Inn left as a legacy project for Histon and Impington’s own tree planting by HI Trees was seriously compacted by A14 equipment. They said: “The land given back by National Highways is bare and cracked around the saplings compared to the land immediately adjacent which is green, with other plants around the saplings.”
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But their request for National Highways to come back and rectify the situation has been rejected, with National Highways saying: “…this is consistent [with] the rest of scheme where planting into newly topsoiled areas especially on the clay rich soils on this scheme. No further work will take place in this area.”
National Highways have, though committed to listening to “as many local views as realistically possible” as the re-planting project continues. They told Ros they would “welcome further comments from yourself and other Councillors, especially if any of your residents are interested in the strategy”, including preferences for species that are most likely to be successful.
Residents wishing to provide feedback to National Highways should contact Ros Hathorn: ros.hathorn@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
