Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Massive habitat destrcution planned by Network Rail - Finsbury Pk to Ally Pally (June to March next year)

HABITAT DESTRUCTION - COME TO PUBLIC MEETING ON JUNE 6TH in Hornsey.

Letters through the door today, Network Rail are going to be clearing the railway lines of 21 feet (6+metres and beyond) of trees/vegetation from next month to MARCH 2025 from Finbsury Pk to Ally Pally.

Be warned, this is going to decimate a corridor of nature habitat, wildlife, birds, insects, amphibians, smaller mammals, hedgehogs, fox homes, squirrels all along this mile or so stretch of line.

This is also in nesting season (March to August) and should be delayed!

Network rail doesn't have good form at ecology protection. https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/martinharper/posts/good-new...

Please come to their PUBLIC MEETING on Thursday 6 June from 5-7pm at the YMCA Harringay Club in Hornsey (on the corner of Ribblesdale Road).

There is also an online meeting on Tuesday 4th June on this link https://t.ly/PGMYG

Tags for Forum Posts: biodiversity, network rail, trees

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Permalink Reply by John D on May 28, 2024 at 14:57

I imagine that even a community relations manager is entitled to holiday leave.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Mahoney on May 30, 2024 at 17:46

Well done Giovanna. This is important.

Have you tried LinkedIn? A quick search 'Network Rail sustainability manager' brings up some names that might be useful.

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Permalink Reply by Giovanna iozzi on May 31, 2024 at 10:48

Hi Brian, I am now very tied up with my non-campaigning work - if there are any ecology names you could find who seem high up in Network Rail that would be hugely helpful. Our email is

haringeytreeprotectors@gmail.co.uk

Thanks Gio

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Permalink Reply by Giovanna iozzi on May 28, 2024 at 13:40

By the way, this is a distance of

4 km, not miles.

Equivalent to

3 football pitches of vegetation and trees. (my husband did his calculations wrong!)

Yesterday myself and a film maker took the journey, there are some very dense spots near Finsbury Park and Haringey overground (where I live) - but trees and bushes all alongside.

The DETAIL Is missing here. We need to insist Network Rail consult meaningfully.

If you read their Biodiversity Action Plan - their key target is to stop all biodiversity loss in 2024. So they are contravening their own target here.

Please read it here on page 2. https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Network-Ra...

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Permalink Reply by Giovanna iozzi on May 28, 2024 at 13:44

This is the MD of our area. Jake Kelly.

Jake Kelly, Managing Director, Eastern region | Skills and Experience

Jake has worked in the rail industry for many years and held numerous operational, commercial, strategic and project delivery roles – in both the public and private sectors. He joined Network Rail in October 2019 as passenger director and before that he was the managing director of East Midlands Trains.

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Permalink Reply by Giovanna iozzi on May 28, 2024 at 14:03

Use this template sorry, it changes their profit figures.

Attachments:

TEMPLATE EMAIL NETWORK RAIL.docx, 17 KB

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Permalink Reply by Dick Harris on June 1, 2024 at 2:39

I was pleased to see that, in addition to the plainly vital issues of railway operations and safety, Network Rail’s letter includes also the broader importance of protecting wild-life, biodiversity and the amenity of neighbouring communities. The previous letter about vegetation management (in 2018) did not say any of this and the new emphasis is clearly reflected both in Network Rail’s Biodiversity Action Plan of December 2020 and in the related document of April 2022, entitled “A National Nature Network - Sustainable Land Use Strategic Framework”. I was particularly pleased to see in the latter document, page 20, under the heading of “3.4 Reconfiguring habitats and woodland cover” a reference to developing more collaborative partnerships with neighbours and adjacent landowners. I hope to persuade Network Rail that this latter concept is relevant to the untypical situation that obtains the vicinity of my garden and of a few others close by. I think it needs a solution that would eliminate the need for onerous clearance work every few years.

The small area concerned is, in effect, a fragment of fully fenced woodland rather than simply the margin of a busy railway. Where today there is a virtual monoculture of densely self-seeded sycamores that have grown unmanaged to a dangerous height, this small area should instead contain a mixture of tree species that can be expected to remain naturally low. This would reduce routine maintenance to lopping unwanted new seedlings – an easy task that would not need chainsaws, chippers or shredders. It would also provide a more diverse environment for wild-life.

I have replied to Network Rail in writing along these lines and would welcome support from any like-minded fellow sufferers.

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Permalink Reply by Giovanna iozzi on June 1, 2024 at 11:47

I agree Dick, that their Biodoversity Action plan reads like the most nature-friendly thing ever, and it all sounds marvellous. But this is very important habitat which has taken years, sometimes centuries to grow and large trees also buffer against noise. Our urban habit is in tiny pockets but so essential for wildlife to live undistrubed, very few areas offer this oppprtunity now, apart from the side of train tracks.There are tawny owls, mistle thrushes and bats in my neighbours' gardens in Stroud Green and this clearance is going to affect them. The thrushes breed and nest in the trackside siding and then fly from the Finbsury Pk to Parkland Walk to feed and forage. I have not heard of one excellent bit of management NR have done in the last 10 years, only negative publicity below.

https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/21335722.hampstead-heath-neighbours-...

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/sustainability/biodiversity-on-britai...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/29/millions-of-trees-...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/28/report-urges-ne...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/may/03/network-rail-is-on...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/09/revealed-networ...

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Permalink Reply by Giovanna iozzi on June 1, 2024 at 11:53

If people want to email Network Rail etc list below

Sharon.neil@networkrail.co.uk - community relations manager.

Head of press Charlotte Harries Charlotte.Harries@networkrail.co.uk
Regional Managing Director Ellie Burrows Ellie.Burrows@networkrail.co.uk
Network Rail Eastern Region Jake Kelly Jake.Kelly@networkrail.co.uk
CEO Network Rail Andrew Haines Andrew.Haines@networkrail.co.uk
Local MP catherine.west.mp@parliament.uk
Haringey Council mike.hakata@haringey.gov.uk

David Lammy david.lammy.mp@parliament.uk

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Permalink Reply by Giovanna iozzi on June 3, 2024 at 22:09

HEADLINES from Network Rail's ecology report but do read it yourself _ i can email it to you as it's too big to upload. (haringeytreeprotectors@gmail.co.uk)

Finsbury Park to Ally Pally, 21 feet, 7 metres and beyond, 3 football fields of habitat (we have worked out) NR meetings tomorrow ONLINE and Thursday in person. (meeting info at bottom of this email)

Not much close surveying done, mostly done from bridges. How can they really know what's going on without being able to walk through it?

'A large proportion of the survey was carried out from bridges and platforms. Binoculars were used to aid where areas could not be walked.'

TREES AND NESTING

No full nesting survey done.

6.10. It is recommended that the vegetation clearance works are carried out outside the nesting bird season. This is essential, as it will be very difficult to undertake nesting bird surveys of such a long length of vegetation and it is inevitable that nesting birds will be present and that will potentially cause delays in the work program. (p41)

4.4.9. The vegetation, buildings and other structures within the surveyed area all provide potential to support nesting birds during the nesting bird season, which extends from March to August each year. No full nesting bird survey was carried out as there is a short validity period for this survey. Numerous disused nests were identified within the survey area. (p 33)

TPOs on a group of trees. it is understood that Tree Preservation Orders were present on a group of trees which will be affected by the works. More information needed!

No mention of owls – but we know there have been sightings of owls in neighbours’ gardens.

Lots of healthy native trees. 4.3.4.1. There were strips of woodland adjacent to Finsbury Park. The species present included: English oak (Quercus robur), sessile oak (Quercus petraea), turkey oak (Quercus cerris), elder (Sambucus nigra), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), beech (Fagus sylvatica), poplar (Populus sp.), cherry (Prunus avium), silver birch (Betula pendula), sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) and aspen (Populus tremula) with bramble (Rubus 20) (P.20)

SLOW WORMS

Slow worms were recorded on a previous railway walk (p 10)

MAMMAL PATHS

4.4.2.1. There were numerous mammal paths identified within the survey area although foxes were confirmed to be present and therefore, these may not be due to badger. (p 27)

BATS

4.4.5. Within the surveyed area there are numerous under and over bridges that may provide suitable roosting opportunities for bats. (p 28)

4.4.7. The railway corridor and associated habitats provide a suitable linear bat foraging and commuting route with good connectivity between bat foraging habitats. (p 28)

GREAT CRESTED NEWTS

4.4.8.1. Four ponds were identified within 500m of the surveyed area that may provide a suitable habitat for great crested newts by looking at Ordnance Survey maps of the surrounding area. The maps below highlight the survey area with 500m buffer and the location of the waterbodies. (p28)

4.4.10. The railway corridor provides a good habitat for reptiles as it provides suitable refugia, hibernation and basking sites within the railway infrastructure. Slow worms have previously been recorded within Alexandra Palace by the author of this PEA, in 2022. (p 33)

CONCLUSIONS

‘Overall, the scheme will have a high temporary impact on the biodiversity of the site.’ (37-38) (so bad, it will basically destroy it.)

‘Therefore, the removal of all the vegetation along the railway corridor may have a high impact on foraging and commuting bats.’

Therefore, the proposed works may have an impact on great crested newts.

‘Any vegetation clearance carried out within the nesting bird season will likely have a high impact on nesting birds.’

‘Evidence of both slow worm and grass snake were recorded during the survey.’

6.6.1. Due to lack of access, not all the trees within the surveyed area could be thoroughly surveyed for bat roost potential. Therefore, it is recommended that if any potential bat roosting features such as cracks, broken limbs, rot holes, knot holes or woodpecker holes are identified in any tree, Whitcher Wildlife Ltd should be contacted before the tree is removed or pruned. (p 40)

Meetings

'Information' meeting on Thursday 6 June from 5-7pm at the Haringey YMCA Club ( Hornsey Station). There is also an online meeting tomorrow, Tuesday 4th June on this link https://t.ly/PGMYG

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Permalink Reply by Dick Harris on June 5, 2024 at 15:24

I was not able to join the online meeting yesterday (4^th June) at https://t.ly/PGMYG but I afterwards looked through the video that Network Rail presented about the work they intend to do. One long sequence of slides showed their land in sections all the way from Finsbury Park station to Alexandra Park station. Patches of land were marked in red for total vegetation removal, yellow for “management of vegetation” and green for “reduce, pollard, side back trees”. I do not know this latter term.

As regards the eastern boundary of Network Rail’s land there were no coloured work patches at any point along the 1.5 miles from about 71 Wightman to the parking strip of Heartland’s High School. Number 71 is about where the track over the reversing bridge converges tangentially on the eastern boundary fence.

The commentary did not say anything about this but referred several times the “Thameslink depot” which refers to all of the extensive train servicing and parking facilities along this long strip. There is, of course, a lot of vegetation and many trees along this strip some of which are very close to rail tracks which are busy sidings rather than active service routes.

I suspect that what we may now be told is something along the lines that all that land has been leased from Network Rail by Govia Thameslink and that that company is responsible for managing the land and its vegetation. I suppose the right response to buck passing of this kind is to ask: A does their lease oblige them to carry out all the vegetation maintenance responsibilities that would fall to Network Rail as the owner? B Are they obliged to return the land to Network Rail, at the end of the lease, in the same condition as they found it? C Who in Network Rail is responsible for ensuring that the terms of the lease are complied with and, if necessary, enforced? They may say that trees falling on trains and/or power lines in the depot would have only marginal and indirect impact on train services so Network Rail doesn’t much care about them. I wonder whether they would be equally indifferent to trees falling on neighbours.

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Permalink Reply by Giovanna iozzi on June 11, 2024 at 19:51

Hi all,

Last week's 'information' meeting was pretty disappointing. I have attached all the aerial views of track - yellow stickers indicate where they will go and beyond.

We asked for a delay.

We asked for fuller on-the-ground bat and bird surveys as the ecology survey was based on hypotheticals and previous modelling of what this kind of habitat usually contains. (Picture attached of main bat activity in park) two spots of which run alongside the rail lines which leads us to believe bats may be roosting in trackside.

We asked them not to use Glyphosate - they intend to use 'Round Up Pro' on all the 21 feet of razed habitat after they are done it. This is terrible for all kinds of plant and animal species as well as the soil and trees.

Many trees will be felled beyond this line too.

I have written to Natural England, The Bat conservation Trust, Catherine West, press, local ward councillors, some local friends' groups.

Unless we persuade NR to be less wholesale in their clearance, it is hard to know how we can effect their actions on the land. Please do write - if you need tips do email me at Haringeytreeprotectors@gmail.com

I am a tree campaigner yes, but also on the committees of the Friends of Finsbury Pk and Friends of Parkland Walk, all stakeholders not contacted by Network Rail at all. (Only Ally Pally Friends have been contacted)

Please do pressure NR to make this work less scorched earth if you are able.

Jeremy Corbyn - corbynj@parliament.uk

Thanks

Gio

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