2019

Councilllors call for more trees

Date Posted: 10:33 AM on Wed, 18 December 2019

Gedling Borough Council Leader and Deputy Leader call on Nottinghamshire County Council to replace trees felled to build new road.

The Leader and Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council today called on Nottinghamshire County Council to replace every tree felled for the construction of the Gedling Access Road. Councillors John Clarke & Michael Payne have called on the Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council to urgently join them in working to replace the hundreds of trees being removed to make way for a new £40 million pound road.

Councillor Clarke and Payne have planted new trees in Gedling Country Park, owned by Gedling Borough Council, next to where the Gedling Access Road will be built. Gedling Borough Council has made a pledge to plant hundreds of trees and has called on Nottinghamshire County Council to replace the trees felled along the route of the Gedling Access Road and make the same commitment in order to mitigate the removal of the natural habitat.

The trees planted at the Gedling Country Park are part of Gedling Borough Council’s pledge to plant 500 native trees across the borough. The initiative was launched in November, during National Tree Week, and the council has already planted 400 whip trees and 100 hundred bean trees at Gedling Country Park, Burton Road Park, Arnot Hill Park, Willow Park and King George V Park. Hundreds of more trees will be planted across Gedling over the next four years.

The initiative is part of the council’s plan to provide a more sustainable environment in the borough. As well as planting hundreds of trees Gedling Borough Council is also working on ways to promote and protect the environment by minimising pollution and waste. In November, the council declared a climate emergency and has set a goal to become carbon neutral by 2030. Councillors unanimously agreed to produce an action plan working with local business, charities and the public sector to take steps to reduce carbon emissions.

Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said

“Nottinghamshire County Council are responsible for building the Gedling Access Road and they are felling 1000s of trees to make way for it. We’re calling on them to immediately join us and do everything they can do mitigate the impact of the new road by replacing every single tree that have felled. The road is needed and is an important part of the infrastructure to provide much needed new homes and less traffic in Gedling Village, however, everything must be done to limit the destruction of natural habitat and wildlife which is why we are planting these trees.”

Deputy Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor Michael Payne said

“Our Labour administration made a commitment to plant 500 trees across the borough and we’ve done that in just a single month, we are now going to plant hundreds more trees over the next four years. In November, we declared a Climate Emergency in Gedling and this is part of a robust plan that will set out our goal to be carbon neutral by 2030. This is the responsibility of every local authority and we are keen to see the Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Councillor Kay Cutts taking this issue seriously and immediately committing to replacing every single tree felled for the construction of the Gedling Access Road.