Trees felled as Nottingham tram work begins

Work is beginning to fell dozens of trees in Nottingham to make way for one of the city's new tram routes.

About 40 trees along University Boulevard will be removed in preparation for the line to Chilwell.

Nottingham City Council said the total number of trees to be removed would be kept to a minimum but some tree loss "was inevitable".

The £570m extension of the Nottingham Express Transit (NET) also requires 78 buildings to be demolished.

Replacement trees

Nottingham City Councillor Jane Urquhart, portfolio holder for planning and transportation, said: "The majority of mature trees which form the boulevard effect will remain.

"Once construction of this line is complete, semi-mature trees will be planted along University Boulevard to replace the ones that are removed to supplement the mature trees and retain the avenue of trees effect."

Work along the route will take place during off-peak hours Monday to Thursday and during the daytime on Sunday. Some lane closures will be in operation.

Further tree clearance near the roundabout where University Boulevard meets Queens Road East is due to take place in mid-February.

Nottingham City Council estimates that the new tram lines will double the use of the existing tram, with an estimated 20 million tram journeys expected each year.