Plymouth residents' anger after A38 trees are cut down
RESIDENTS in Compton say they are suffering from "horrendous" traffic noise and light pollution after trees and hedges along the A38 were cut down.
Homeowners in Reddington Road, Hollycroft Road and Valley View Road, on the south side of The Parkway, claim they are struggling to sleep at night and have had their view ruined.
The Highways Agency says the removal of the "overgrown vegetation" was necessary but residents are unhappy and calling on their councillors and MPs to highlight the issue.
Val Smith, 68, who lives in Reddington Road with her husband Ian, 72, said: "When we bought our bungalow here there were lovely trees along the Parkway, and instead of just cutting or pruning them back either side they cut the whole lot down.
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"We are left with stumps which has obviously made the Parkway totally visible to us.
"I could tell you what make of cars were going by and what their number plates are. It's awful, and it has increased the noise level considerably."
Mrs Smith says the lights from the traffic beam into the couple's bedroom and the noise keeps them awake.
"The trees were reducing the noise level and blocking out the view," she said.
"In cutting down these trees they have virtually moved the Parkway to the bottom of our garden. They might as well have moved in. It's horrendous. It has de-valued our properties. Much as I love this bungalow, I would like to sell up and move."
The issue has been taken up by Cllr Richard Ball, Conservative member for Compton, who has written to Patrick McLoughlin, the Secretary of State for Transport.
Cllr Ball said: "I am particularly annoyed about this matter because neither the city council nor residents were informed about the programme or scale of vegetation works, and the Highways Agency seems to have no regard whatsoever about the quality of life of those who live near the road.
"I have been in touch with the Highways Agency and they quote what they regard as good reasons for their activities.
"I mentioned to them that people have become inured to the fact that they must endure the noise but not the noise itself, and when it gets worse as it has now, the agency should deal with it promptly not argue contractual points."
A Highways Agency spokesman said: "The Highways Agency takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. We carry out maintenance programmes to trees and shrubs alongside our roads to ensure vegetation remains in good health and to maintain the safety of our roads. As part of this, overgrown vegetation near the Manadon junction on the A38 was cut back and cleared, and replanting took place where appropriate.
"Some of this work was undertaken in response to concerns raised by residents about the loss of light into their properties caused by overgrown trees. The trees were not serving a noise mitigation purpose."
10 Comments
by m_dalston
Thursday, January 31 2013, 8:24PM
“Is that Arthur Ainslie's brother? He looks a bit like him.”
by stevestrange
Thursday, January 31 2013, 6:49PM
“They should get some acoustic fencing put up,totally insensitive action from the authorities.”
by pogle63a
Thursday, January 31 2013, 2:00PM
“@Slider obviously it is not the first time these trees have been cut down you say so yourself, so they must be of a type that grows back quickly enough. I have just driven past that same spot and was unable to see the bungalow in the picture. What is obvious is that a great deal of effort was made to use the raised patio there, to do the after shot which barely captures the roof of a lorry on the opposite carriageway. As for light pollution you are having a laugh. Try coming clean and taking a shot down by the shed okay you won`t see the trees but you will also not see the road or anything on it.
Like I said they cannot afford to prune trees every few months and cannot afford to let them grow wild either - try moving to the countryside that is unless of course the sound of animals keeps you awake.
Obviously a slow news day.”
by Slider
Thursday, January 31 2013, 12:36PM
“I agree wholeheartedly with Val & Ian, I have lived here for 30 years and seen the road build along with the tree planting and have enjoyed the year on year growth of these trees providing a lung in this city, it is not the first time
that we have complained about the way these trees have been chopped down rather than pruned, it is probably cheaper and easier to do this, and is nothing more than vandalism, forgive us if we living in this area care for our
environment, we prefer trees, wild animals, birds and the like here, apologies if that's out of order. who by the way
was tasked to oversee the work carried out by these people?”
by Slider
Thursday, January 31 2013, 12:34PM
“I agree wholeheartedly with Val & Ian, I have lived here for 30 years and seen the road build along with the tree planting and have enjoyed the year on year growth of these trees providing a lung in this city, it is not the first time
that we have complained about the way these trees have been chopped down rather than pruned, it is probably cheaper and easier to do this, and is nothing more than vandalism, forgive us if we living in this area care for our
environment, we prefer trees, wild animals, birds and the like here, apologies if that's out of order. who by the way
was tasked to oversee the work carried out by these people?”
by pogle63a
Thursday, January 31 2013, 11:40AM
“I agree with the previous posting the before and after photographs are taken on two entirely different levels the second one considerably higher up tha the first one. Anyway the vegetation they cut down will soon grow back again.
We as taxpayers cannot afford these Agencies to come along and trim the vegetation beside our roads every few months - they obviously prune exretemely to stop the trees growing too tall and rooting too far - safe in the knowledge that by the time this stretch of road is dealt with again the vegetation will be no worse than it was before.
As for the light pollution come off it put some bloomin curtains up! What a whinger - whats next a compo claim.
As for the Herald a before and after shots should be relative to each other not taken taken so as to enhance a point and deliberately misleading readers usual poor reporting.”
by Smart Home Protection Ltd
Thursday, January 31 2013, 11:19AM
“Look at the pictures ,obviously some artistic licence going on, the "before" is from a low down position towards the rear of the plot,the "after" picture from up on a terrace ,all designed to stir sympathy?”
by Matt2112
Thursday, January 31 2013, 11:00AM
“"Some of this work was undertaken in response to concerns raised by residents about the loss of light into their properties caused by overgrown trees. The trees were not serving a noise mitigation purpose."
Do they not think about what they say? Two points, both entirely incorrect.
As the properties are south of the trees, they could not possibly be blocking out sunlight.
As the residents now experience an increase in noise form the traffic they clearly WERE serving a noise mitigation purpose.
They just can't bring themselves to admit they messed up and made the wrong decision to cut them down.”
by Foldart
Thursday, January 31 2013, 10:47AM
“Loss of light into some homes? Those trees/shrubs are quite a distance from the houses and there's a steep hill on the other side of the road. Methinks there's some spin going on here.
This is being done 'on the cheap'...and severely enough to last a few years.
Oh well, people. Nature will restore what the faceless government department has taken away.”
by haunt
Thursday, January 31 2013, 9:48AM
“that highways agency spokesman sounds like a real dyed in the wool, empty headed jobsworth”