Winchmore Hill resident Peter Johns, a retired chartered engineer, has been supporting a team of campaigners in Whitstable who have managed to secure a stay of execution,against  Network Rail's wholesale clearance of their embankments.

He has produced a new report, arguing that a combination of poor embankment construction and fifty years of  inadequate maintenance of track-side vegetation has led to Network Rail's difficulties in managing track quality and safety standards in Whitstable, as in other parts of the country including Grange Park.

Click on the image to download the report.

To read the article go to http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3327

Grange Park Before and After Network Rail's 'vegetation clearance'

More pictures of the destruction suffered by Grange Park, the replanting of the embankment and what people in Grange Park have thought about the work can be viewed in the N21 Photo Album 

To sign the petition go to http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/34529

Please share on social media sites, 100,000 signatures are needed to trigger a parliamentary debate.

Click here to access these documents

Despite Network Rail's apologies, they are continuing with the policy of wholesale destruction of wildlife corridors along our local lines, even though it is the bird breeding season. This is the scene this week along the line, near the Emirates Stadium.

More details on the Islington Gazette website here

Terry O'Sullivan, who lives on Hoppers Road, writes about his experiences dealing with Network Rail and what he thinks is their agenda.

Update on Whitstable's battle to prevent Network Rail destruction of another wildlife corridor (17.5.12)

This is the situation right now as far as local people in Whitstable are concerned: literally hundreds of residents are incensed that Network Rail is still planning to go ahead on 28th May with the tree felling operations on the Cromwell Road embankment - during the bird breeding season - and when the company has been advised by all the relevant wildlife agencies not to do so. There is a high risk that breeding birds, their eggs and nests will be disturbed/destroyed/damaged in this operation, the police are standing by, the RSPB is standing by, and local people are standing by. Forget the cursory nest studies done by their contractor, we have done our own, and Network Rail should be made very aware of that.

One Sunday in April 2012, Network Rail dropped a leaflet through the letterboxes of a few people living in houses alongside the railway track advising that some vegetation work was to be undertaken by the track.  The following day, Network Rail contractors turned up with chainsaws and woodchippers to start felling the trees, exactly as happened months ago in Grange Park

Fortunately, the good people of Whitstable were up and about, had had their first cup of coffee of the day and called the Police, reporting the contractors for breaching the wildlife act.  Tree felling was halted pending a meeting between representatives of Whitstable and Network Rail.

The London Assembly Environment Committee has recently launched an investigation looking at the management of railway embankments.

Last week I joined the Committee in a visit to Grange Park to view the railway embankment. Network Rail were also in attendance. I’m very glad that they paid us a visit. They promised to learn from the Grange Park situation and most importantly they recognised the need to improve on their communication and public consultation efforts. Hopefully the London Assembly investigation into will produce some recommendations which will help change the way these ‘vegetation management’ programmes are conducted in future.

Members of the Grange Park Residents Replanting Committee met with Network Rail and Council officers on Tuesday to finalise the replanting of the embankment site.

The site has greened up over the past couple of months since the construction work finished, no these are not weeds you see before you, the site has been seeded with a grass and wild flower mix by Network Rail!  We are also starting to see some self seeded shrubs and plants on the site.

David Burrowes has published a letter he received on June 9th from David Higgins, Chief Executive of Network Rail, in which he sets out how the Grange Park embankment project will be taken forward.

In the letter which followed an extensive two hour meeting between David Burrowes and Mr. Higgins he apologises for the mistakes made in previous months and confirms that going forward Network Rail will learn from this incident and adapt their community engagement and consultation. He also makes assurances that when it comes to replanting, budgets will not be an issue and that there will be full involvement of community groups with the process.

Network Rail "contrite and constructive" in meeting with MP

Having held a public meeting to hold Network Rail to account for the destruction of trees in Grange Park and previuosly in Winchmore Hill, David Burrowes MP yesterday met with the Chief Executive David Higgins and the Heads of Engineering and Communications.

In a full and frank meeting lasting 1 1/2 hours Network Rail acknowledged serious failures in communication and the extent of destruction of trees. Agreement has been reached for a replanting scheme which, subject to local residents approval, will involve a significant number of replacement trees. Network Rail also agreed to disclose environmental assessments and to fully engage local representatives and residents in the replanting scheme. An assurance was given that land development was not a reason for the works and there are no plans for future development.