This presentation was made at a recent meeting of concerned residents who have witnessed the removal of much of the vegetation on railway embankments. TfL's contractors have removed shrubs and scrub as well as mature trees, even when they appeared not to impinge on railway tracks and were healthy. In the process, they have removed habitats of birds, mammals including badger setts and bat roosts. No proper ecological damage assessments appear to have been made. The presentation was compiled by Emma Wallace, Green Party GLA candidate for Brent and Harrow who set up the Facebook Group publicising the issue.
The Facebook Group has more than 100 members who share information about the damage being done in their area and are planning future action. LINK
A petition on the issue was recently presented to Mayor Sadiq Khan by Green Assembly Member Caroline Russell:
We call on TFL and the Mayor of London to commit to the following:
1. Immediately stop the excessive removal of vegetation from trackside TFL embankments.
2. Ensure that TFL carries out biodiversity surveys before trackside work begins and that these are made easily accessible to the public.
3. Ensure that local residents are informed in good time before trackside work begins and given time to feedback questions and concerns to TFL.
4. Ensure that TFL contractors are trained in effective vegetation management and biodiversity preservation.
Please sign if you haven't already: https://actionnetwork.org/.../stop-the-removal-of-green...
