From the Bristol Evening Post
'SLOPES NEED PROPER PLANTS'
BY HUGO BERGER
A row has broken out in Yate over Network Rail's replanting of a railway embankment.
All the trees were removed to stop the bank collapsing and the train operator has been carrying out stabilising work there near Rodborough and Chedworth streets.
Now residents and councillors say the scheme is "woefully inadequate".
Network Rail said it had offered South Gloucestershire Council cash towards replanting, but could not replant too much in case the bank collapsed.
Councillor Paul Hulbert said: "All Network Rail is proposing to do is to spray the embankment with grass seed with some shrub seed added. What we need is proper replanting. We appreciate that they can't plant large trees on the slope, but they can plant whips instead of shrub seeds, like they did at Coalpit Heath. That way the bare slopes will be covered a lot quicker. I have said it before, Network Rail are not good neighbours. The least they can do is live up to their own environment policy."
Network Rail spokeswoman Kirsty Anderson said that the operator was working very hard to reduce the impact of the clearance work.
She said: "We are very disappointed to hear these comments from Councillor Hulbert as we have a committed replanting programme that exceeds our general replanting policy. Network Rail has even offered a financial contribution to the council to replant an area of third party land, which could include the road verge, to minimise the impact on the local environment.
"We are still waiting to hear from them about this offer. Unfortunately we cannot replant the embankment with any further vegetation as this will jeopardise the future stability of the embankment. We are carrying out these works as we have a duty of care not only to the travelling public, but also to the local residents.
"We had to remove the vegetation as it was affecting the stability of the embankment."
Slopes Need proper Plants
It always beggars my beliefs why anyone thinks Network Rail has to be some kind of green corridor for wildlife when their job is to run trains safely and efficiently.
Yate (one of the most sterile, bland and boring places on the planet) is hardly well-known for it's parks and green spaces. Perhaps the local council could look at planting a nature reserve at, say, the old Westerleigh Depot instead of selling of the land for housing?
Yate (one of the most sterile, bland and boring places on the planet) is hardly well-known for it's parks and green spaces. Perhaps the local council could look at planting a nature reserve at, say, the old Westerleigh Depot instead of selling of the land for housing?
here here living just a few hundred yard from the old depot last thing we want is even more housing close by, I say reinstate the rail link and fill it with proper loco's coaches and vansmadhattie wrote:It always beggars my beliefs why anyone thinks Network Rail has to be some kind of green corridor for wildlife when their job is to run trains safely and efficiently.
Yate (one of the most sterile, bland and boring places on the planet) is hardly well-known for it's parks and green spaces. Perhaps the local council could look at planting a nature reserve at, say, the old Westerleigh Depot instead of selling of the land for housing?
, or just flatten it and green it 
.