Bike path plans could see 50 trees felled

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust owns the 0.62-mile (1km) stretch of road that runs between Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Woolwich Common

More than 50 trees could be felled under plans to build a cycle lane on Woolwich Common in south-east London.

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust owns and maintains the 0.62-mile (1km) stretch of road, which runs between Woolwich Common to the east and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to the west.

The trust wants to rebuild the road and upgrade it to adoptable highway standards, so it can be adopted by the Highway Authority and become public.

Hundreds of residents, plus local groups, have objected to the plans, with many opposing the loss of trees. The NHS trust has proposed planting 76 replacement trees to mitigate the impact. Greenwich Council is due to make a decision on the proposals on Tuesday.

The proposals for the Stadium Road and Baker Road carriageway could see a strip of land up to 8.2ft (2.5m) wide on Woolwich Common turned into a continuous, uninterrupted footpath and cycleway to replace the existing path and grass verge on the road's eastern side.

This road widening would result in the removal of up to 46 trees, as well as seven others "in extremely poor condition" that need to be removed regardless.

Various crossing facilities have been proposed along the road, and the trust said it hoped the carriageway improvements would "offer enhanced and safer cycling and pedestrian facilities along this route".

'Healthy trees'

The plans have received 539 objections from Greenwich residents, as well as objections from the 250-strong local cycle campaigning group Greenwich Cyclists, Friends of Woolwich Common and The Charlton Society.

Greenwich Cyclists said: "We believe there are opportunities to improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists with the reconstruction of Baker Road and Stadium Road whilst minimising the loss of mature, healthy trees.

"We recommend that the applicant should actively engage with the community to explore alternative designs."

The NHS trust said replacement trees would be planted "as close to the sites of loss wherever possible".

But objectors have argued newly-planted trees typically take years to reach the carbon reducing equivalent of mature trees, and when mature trees are cut down they release the stored carbon they have collected over decades.

A meeting between the Friends of Woolwich Common, Greenwich Cyclists, the NHS trust and officers from Greenwich Council's Planning and Highways departments took place last month.

Council documents showed no consensus could be reached among the parties and both Greenwich Cyclists and Friends of Woolwich Common continued to maintain their objections to the removal of any trees, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.