Update 29th April 2026
Dear All,
Update 29th April, 2026
East West Rail Consultation from 14th April to midnight Tues 9th June 2026
eastwestrail.co.uk/pr-east-west-rail-announces-details-of-last-route-wide-public-consultation
This is expected to be the final route-wide consultation before a Development Consent Order is submitted in 2027.
|
|
EWR Co. have advised that correspondence has been sent to all newly affected landowners to inform them of the potential for compulsory acquisition. If you know anyone who may be concerned or has questions about this process, please encourage them to contact the EWR Land & Property team by emailing land@eastwestrail.co.uk or calling 0330 838 7583.
Following officers’ review of the consultation material, the GCSP NSIP team will provide a briefing for parish councils and residents’ associations – the date is to be confirmed, and further details will follow. In the meantime, they say please do not hesitate to contact the NSIP team if you have any queries regarding the consultation or the EWR DCO more generally via nsips@greatercambridgeplanning.org.
Urgent Plea for support: Planning Application 26/0384/TTCA|T1 – to fell old lime tree on Hills Road – Deadline for commenting this Friday (1st May)
One of only two remaining old trees on the section of Hills Road from the railway bridge to Station Rd. Remember you need to log in first to comment.
A local resident has asked us to share his comments on the application
‘I’m writing to object to the planned felling of the tree on the front of 113 Hills Road.
This is one of only two remaining old trees on the section of Hills Road from the railway bridge to Station Rd. It is healthy and poses no risk to the public. It is a positive bonus to the area and of great public amenity value.
The tree is an oasis in a concrete desert. In this time of increasing climate change, the tree provides a way of keeping our streets cooler. We should be planning more trees not less. The city council urban forest strategy policy follows this and is laid out on the Cambridge Gov webpage. To fell this tree would go directly against this policy.
Using TEMPO to evaluate the tree for a TPO, as laid out by Forbes Laird Arboricultural Consultancy, referencing ‘Tree Preservation Orders: A Guide to the Law and Good Practice’ (DETR 2000) and ‘Visual Amenity Valuation of Trees and Woodlands’, DR Helliwell, Arboricultural Association 2003 amongst others.
Part 1: Amenity assessment
a) Condition & suitability for TPO; where trees in good or fair condition have poor form, deduct 1 point. The tree is fundamentally in “Good” condition. Scores 5 points.
b) Retention span (in years) & suitability for TPO. As a lime tree it fits into the longest living category of 100+ years. Scores 5 points.
c) Relative public visibility & suitability for TPO. It is a very large tree with considerable visibility. Scores 5 points.
Tree has accrued 15 points so far, so over 7 or more points, and has no zero scores. It qualifies to proceed.
Trees of particularly good form, especially if rare or unusual. Scores 2 more points.
Part 2: Expediency assessment
Tree has accrued 17 points so far, so over 9 or more points. It qualifies to proceed.
There is an immediate threat to tree, so scores another 5 points.
Part 3: Decision guide
Tree has accrued 22 points.
CONCLUSION: A score of more than 16 points merits a TPO.
Addressing concerns raised in the application.
There is slight uplifting of the public pavement. It has hardly changed in the 3 decades I’ve lived here. It is minimal. As shown in the online Street View photos from Google Maps in 2008 and 2015 there is very similar uplift. The paving is bowed upwards in a rounded format, there is no sudden step or ledge. As far as a pavement trip hazard is concerned, there are much bigger issues with the cobbles and paving outside 125 Hills Road.
The paving inside the property boundary is lifted. Again, this is minimal and hasn’t changed in decades. The Street View online photos also show this. There is a much bigger trip hazard associated with a broken folding bollard.
Both issues with uplifting could be solved using Flexipave (or similar) rather than felling a perfectly healthy tree.
The tree acts as a protection to at least 4 of the houses near to it. The roofs are of grey slate and heat up quickly in the sun. The tree provides a shading effect to reduce this heat, which can get extreme in summer.
A tree survey done by Tree-Tec of Teversham says “The tree and the houses appear to have co-existed for approximately 100 years without any apparent problems.”
Whilst describing the soil the survey says “.. has a fairly consistent water content and is unlikely to cause heave or shrink within the tree’s zone of influence.”
I would recommend that this tree be given a TPO due to its rare nature as a sole surviving local pair and benefit to the whole community. This is born out by it’s TEMPO score of 22.
I have more photos and a copy of the previous survey if required.’
People commenting on social media have highlighted that the application to fell the old lime tree is about access to offroad parking rather than altruistic concern about the pavement!
‘App is from resident at 113, says the tree is not TPO’d. At first sight that seems an extraordinary omission by the tree team unless they have assessed previously & deem it at end of life. This is about access to offroad parking rather than altruistic concern about the pavement’
https://x.com/sam_in_cam/status/2047673940777083010?s=43
‘Just had a council notice through to plan to fell the tree outside nextdoor. It’s the last remaining old tree on Hills Rd in between the bridge and Station Rd. Reason: some paving not quite flat. Utterly horrified, it’s the last oasis in a tarmac desert.’
Note Cambridge City Council has an Urban Forest strategy. See link below
https://www.fecra.org.uk/update-20th-january-2026/
- manage more– maintain and care for the trees we already have
- protect more– safeguard important trees and canopy, especially where it is under pressure
- plant more– increase tree cover and species diversity in the right places
- engage more– support residents, communities and organisations to be part of delivery
Best wishes,
Wendy
Wendy Blythe
Chair, FeCRA
Recent Comments