Rapid transit system works in Colchester begin as trees axed

The system will provide services every few minutes between Colchester’s Park and Ride by the A12, the city centre, the University of Essex and a new housing development in the east.

The Tendring Colchester Garden Community will see between 7,500 and 9,000 homes built on the Tendring-Colchester border near Elmstead, constructed over the next 20 years.

As part of the £99 million scheme, a link road connecting the A120 and A133 is to be built, along with a rapid transit system.

Project - a digger works to remove trees in Northern Approach Road (Image: Newsquest)

Vision - how the rapid transit system will look elsewhere in Colchester (Image: Essex County Council)

Works on the first phase of the new transit system have now commenced in Northern Approach Road, Colchester.

It has seen about fifty mature trees chopped down by Essex County Council workers to make way for the rapid transit lane, as well as new walking and cycling infrastructure.

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County Hall said the axed trees will be replaced by of semi-mature trees, which will increase the number of trees along the western side of the road by more than 20 per cent.

“In addition, landscaped areas will be created, which will be planted with shrubs and herbaceous groundcover between the rapid transit system and properties,” said a council spokesman.

Battle zone - Colchester High Steward Sir Bob Russell hit out at the tree felling (Image: Newsquest)

Axed - a tree stump in Northern Approach Road (Image: Newsquest)

“This is being designed to promote biodiversity and attract wildlife, with the introduction of pollinator-friendly native plant species, log-piles and the addition of bat and bird boxes.”

The trees and shrubs were originally planted by Colchester Council in order to create a “green avenue”.

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The decision to chop them down has attracted criticism from Colchester High Steward Sir Bob Russell, who described the scene in Northern Approach Road as “more like a battle zone”.

Project - a sign warning of the works in Northern Approach Road (Image: Newsquest)

The former MP said although he had been informed the county council would be planting replacement trees, he was “not sure” if the avenue appearance would be replicated.

“Essex County Council has now slightly changed the alignment of the approved bus lane, with the result that 50 mature trees and 600 yards of shrubs and other plants have been destroyed,” said Sir Bob.

“Sadly, the chainsaws and hacking equipment of Essex County Council have destroyed one side of that avenue, leaving an ecological disaster zone.”