Opposition to roadside tree-felling grows

Worcestershire Council has been carrying out work to improve the A38

More than 2,000 people have signed an online petition calling for a halt to the felling of trees alongside a main road.

Protests have also been staged against the work alongside the A38 in Bromsgrove.

The petition calls on Worcestershire County Council to stop the work and carry out a review while considering alternatives.

The authority said the aim of the project was to reduce congestion and that any tree-felling would be kept to a minimum.

The online petition said the trees "play a crucial role in maintaining air quality, providing habitats for endangered wildlife, and enhancing the beauty of our community".

As well as urging the council to carry out a review, it said it should consider plans to mitigate the environmental impact.

The campaigners said they had another 1,500 signatures on a paper petition.

The authority said the A38 "suffers from significant congestion leading to lengthy journey times and poor journey time reliability" and that tackling that congestion was a priority.

It said in order to carry out the work "there is a requirement to remove some trees," but that work would be kept to "an absolute minimum" and would be carried out by qualified and experienced ecologists and arboriculturists.

It also said all trees that are removed will be replaced on a 2 for 1 basis as close as possible from where they are removed.

The work will also involve improvements to footpaths and cycle routes.