Railway planting plans “inadequate”

Paul Hulbert points out the bald slope of the railway embankment

Network Rail’s plans for replanting the rail embankment near Rodborough and Chedworth have been criticised as “woefully inadequate” by local councillors. All the trees were removed recently during work to stabilise the slope.

“It looks like the Bare Mountain now” said Cllr Paul Hulbert. “All they’re proposing to do is to spray the embankment with grass seed with some shrub seed added. And some of the area they’re talking about seeding is just rocks – cacti might work there, but not trees!”

“What we need is proper replanting. We appreciate that they can’t plant large trees on the slope, but they can plant whips instead of shrub seeds, like they did at Coalpit Heath – that way the bare slopes will be covered a lot quicker”.

“What’s more we need a decent planting scheme – reasonable size tree - for the road verge, to restore some of the view from Rodborough”.

Network Rail’s environmental vision commits them to ensuring that “habitats under our care make a positive contribution to the quality of life in this country” and “taking action to avoid or reduce adverse impacts to a practicable minimum”.

“I’ve said it before, Network Rail are not good neighbours” said Cllr Hulbert. “The least they can do is live up to their own environment policy".