Network Rail referred to police on tree felling

Campaigners delivered a letter to Network Rail offices yesterday to protest over the behaviour of the organisation which they fear breaches the Wildlife and Countryside Act. The letter, signed on behalf of the Leader of Islington council Cllr Catherine West, was delivered by a delegation including Labour councillors, Green Party activists and community campaigners.

The letter expressed concern over the area around the Emirates Stadium and the Ashburton Triangle stating that;

“The scale of the works is unprecedented. A 20m strip of semi mature broadleaved woodland habitat measuring approximately 200m in length has been completely destroyed by your contractors. We have photographic evidence of nesting birds inhabiting trees within the site… any disturbance to nesting birds  is a criminal offense… and we have notified the Wildlife crimes unit of the Metropolitan Police and the British Transport Police”.

Further down the letter it states “I do not believe that your organisation has demonstrated any awarenesss of the wildlife vale of the land and you have certainly failed to keep the undertaking to consult prior to the works.”

Islington Green Party member Emma Dixon said “This weekend has seen the further devastation by Network Rail of precious green trackside land,  residents at Ashburton Triangle in Highbury, which is bordered on two sides by Network Rail land, have witnessed what they describe as the ‘systematic devastation’ of the area with trees, bushes, indeed almost every living thing, being removed.