Earlier this week, Islington Green Party received reports from residents at Ashburton Triangle that over the weekend Network Rail had destroyed vast swathes of trees and greenery adjoining the railway line there during bird nesting season.
We are challenging Network Rail’s shocking actions by all means available to us, including by:
-Reporting the matter to the British Transport Police, who are now investigating whether offences contrary to the Wildlife & Countryside Act may have been committed by Network Rail
-Meeting with residents at Ashburton Triangle and obtaining photographs of the devastation, including a photograph of a nesting bird at the site
-Attending a demonstration with residents outside Network Rail’s offices at King’s Place N1
-Working with the Council and the local MP to hold Network Rail to account
We have now received a response from Network Rail which is insulting both in its brevity and in its lack of an apology to residents or even an explanation of why the works were carried out. In particular:
1. There is no explanation of why it was necessary to remove mature trees in order to meet ‘railway requirements’ (still less of why this was so urgent that it had to be done (a) at bird nesting season (b) without consultation).
2. There is no explanation of (nor apology for) Network Rail’s failure to honour its previous clear commitment, given voluntarily to the Council last year, of prior consultation before works of this kind are carried out.
3. Most importantly from the point of view of potential criminal proceedings, Network Rail’s assertion that ‘daily visual checks’ were carried out for nesting birds shows utter disregard for the requirements of the law. Nesting birds will almost never be visible from the ground. For example, the bird photographed by residents and pictured in the press is only visible from inside the building, from a particular resident’s flat. Birds’ nests are hidden among the foliage in tall, mature trees. It is only when the leaves fall in autumn that they become visible. Clearly there has been a total failure to carry out the necessary ecological surveys and a total failure to protect nesting birds, eggs & fledglings as required by the Wildlife & Countryside Act.
We will continue to work with residents and the Council to seek to ensure that Network Rail are brought to justice for wildlife offences and held to account for these acts of vandalism.
Please sign the Treesavers petition calling on Network Rail’s tree and vegetation policy.