Trees to be replanted by A14 after mass death

More than 860,000 trees were planted, but a large proportion of them died

National Highways is due to replant more than 160,000 trees on a new stretch of A14 after many died soon after being put into the ground.

More than 860,000 were planted on the £1.5bn stretch between Huntingdon and Cambridge before it opened in 2020.

The government body surveyed the unsuccessful trees and analysed soil samples to work out why they failed.

A revised replanting strategy was made, including an aftercare programme, with planting due to begin in October.

About 270 hectares (667 acres) of habitat was created for wildlife along the new section of A14, which allows three lanes of traffic in both directions between Brampton and Bar Hill.

This included the landscaping of roadside verges and transformation of borrow pits into a mixture of woodland, grassland and wetland.

More than 860,000 trees were planted, including 40 native tree and shrub species.

However, the high failure rate among the new trees caused alarm.

Edna Murphy, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Bar Hill, said: "I submitted a motion to Full Council last year calling on the county council to engage with National Highways to ensure that we received information about tree die back, and that solutions were found to address the causes of this disastrous loss.

"I'm pleased that National Highways has committed to delivering on this important biodiversity initiative."

All replanting work will be subject to a five-year establishment period

Alex Beckett, Liberal Democrat chair of Cambridgeshire County Council's Highways and Transport Committee, said: "We are pleased we now have a commitment from National Highways to replant 160,000 trees and to look after them for five years to ensure they become established.

"The county council will then take over the responsibility of 40,000 trees when the five-year establishment period ends."

Martin Edwards, National Highways project manager, said: "We take our responsibility to the local environment seriously and with that in mind we're pleased to be in a position where we have a clear route ahead for the replanting of trees."