Cambridgeshire councillors have expressed concerns about a large tree planting initiative by the A14.
The major upgrade to the road included a tree planting legacy which would see tens of thousands of tree saplings planted to create noise barriers and make a positive environmental contribution.
However, a motion submitted by Liberal Democrat Cllr Edna Murphy, which was recently backed by Cambridgeshire County Council’s Full Council, stated that residents of Longstanton and Girton believe they can hear the A14 more than they did before the upgrade and that many of the trees are dying.
National Highways is responsible for the A14, but agreed the tree planting with the county council.
Cllr Murphy’s motion called on the council to ask National Highways to publish facts and figures on a regular basis about the tree planting work - including how many are alive and how many have been replanted - as well as report regularly on the progress of the initiative to councillors. It also called on officers to make sure they are fully engaged with the project.
Following the motion’s success, Cllr Murphy said: “One of the legacies of the major A14 project was for tens of thousands of trees to be planted, but that risks being spoiled unless National Highways makes sure the trees are maintained and replaced when necessary.
“Failure to do so will only cause a noise impact on homeowners and undermine the positive environmental aspect of the project.”
