Neighbours hit out at tree pruning along Hayes rail line

Matthew Shipp, 41, moved into his house in Hayes with his family three and a half years ago.

The resident said that from two weeks ago, he noticed trees from his and his neighbour’s gardens being cut down along the Hayes rail line.

A before and after photo of the oak tree at the end of Matthew Shipp’s garden

Mr Shipp soon found out the works were being carried out by Network Rail, which he described as a “big scouring of the earth”.

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Mr Shipp told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It seems excessive… They say it’s for the safe running of the railway, but a lot of these trees like the oak [at the end of my garden] have been there for 50 years.

"The railway can’t have been unsafe for 50 years, or at least for the past 10 or 20 when it’s been that big. It just feels like it’s being used as an excuse to not have to do the necessary paperwork.”

The Hayes resident said that many of his neighbours had gotten a “blank” response from Network Rail when they raised the issue.

He said that despite other residents saying they were told the works were being carried out for health and safety reasons, he does not remember being informed about the pruning beforehand.

A view of the trees and train line from Mr Shipp's garden

He said: “We were upset. The first thing was we didn’t get a letter saying it was going to take place.

"I haven’t actually queried that with Network Rail as to why we didn’t get a letter… The cynic in me says that they didn’t because they knew that it would be controversial.”

Mr Shipp said he agreed that trees and shrubs along the rail line needed maintenance, but felt the degree of pruning done by Network Rail has been “severe”.

He also said that the decreased number of trees at the end of his garden has increased the visibility of his home from the train line.

Mr Shipp said: “With the big trees and stuff, it just reduces that a little bit. I don’t expect that my back garden is a completely private area.

"I have neighbours who can see in, I have a railway at the bottom. I expect people to look, but you kind of hope that they’re going to be looking in between the trees rather than straight in the eye.”

The oak tree in the back of Mr Shipp’s garden before it was cut down

James Tinker, 43, is a resident of Elmers End who also lives along the Hayes train line. He said that upon checking the Bromley Council website, he got the impression that trees in the borough were protected by a tree protection order.

However, the resident said he got a different response when raising this point to the council.

He told the LDRS: “The argument from Bromley Council is that it’s a health and safety issue so Network Rail can do what they want… Why now?

"These trees have been here for 100 years, some back to Victorian times probably. I think most people think it’s just a cost-cutting measure so they don’t have to maintain the trees.”

The train is now visible through Mr Shipp’s garden due to the pruned trees

Mr Tinker said many residents are worried about the effect the pruning will have on climate change and biodiversity in the area.

He said some of his neighbours have claimed to see birds flying to and from the trees being targeted.

He said: “It seems so extreme, I can’t believe nobody’s stopping and questioning whether this is really the right way If they are going to do this. I think they should replace all the trees they are cutting down.

"Even if not on the same land, give some money to tree planting schemes.”

Joanna Smith, 39, has lived in Hayes for seven years. She said she was told by workers that Network Rail was carrying out the works to improve “driver visibility”.

The resident said that while she feels safety should be a priority, the sound from the works has been “horrendous”.

She told the LDRS: “You just hear chainsaws all day. I’m working from home, I’ve had to put headphones on because it’s just been relentless. The noise is so bad, it’s just been constant.”

Mr Smith said that she was also not aware of the works before they were carried out and that she only received a letter from Network Rail two weeks after they had begun.

The resident said she would prefer to see the trees along the line trimmed annually and feels the current method is the “cheapest” option available.

She said: “My daughter who’s 8 looked out and she was devastated. She said, ‘What’s happened?’, because you can just see these stumps… I think they could have used a more sympathetic approach for the environment, rather than a blanket approach saying, ‘We’re just going to chop down any tree to a stump that is on our land’, which is what they have done.”

A Network Rail spokesperson told the LDRS that they were currently carrying out work to manage trees and other vegetation by the railway between Elmers End station and Hayes station to keep trains running safely and on time.

They also said the safety of the public and staff was their top priority in doing the work.

They said: “This is a significant piece of work including the removal of a number of trees protected by tree preservation orders which currently pose a risk to the railway, so we have been working closely with Bromley Council who support this work.

£We take our responsibility to the local environment and its wildlife very seriously and before any vegetation work is carried out a detailed ecological survey is always completed, and all relevant steps are being taken to safeguard any wildlife in the area.”

The spokesperson said a letter had been sent before the start of the work to all properties along the railway line.

They also said Network Rail’s community relations team had spoken and responded to all residents who have got in touch.

They added: “We would like to thank local residents for their patience and understanding while we complete this important work.” Bromley Council was approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.