The developer of the 750-home estate at Bishop’s Stortford South is under attack for chopping down four mature trees in an ancient hedgerow and “obliterating” two public footpaths.
Resident Bill Hardy accused St James’ Park developer Countryside of chopping down two oaks and two ashes on the Hertfordshire Way boundary of the site, which is bordered by Whittington Way, London Road, the A1184 St James’ Way and Obrey Way.
Anger at the felling of the trees comes in the same week a councillor hit out over the closure and damage to two public footpaths.
The footpaths, Thorley 1 and Thorley 3, to the south of the site were subject to temporary traffic regulation orders (TTROs) and were due to reopen this week. But it is understood Countryside applied for permission to extend the TTROs for further groundwork until November.
A Herts County Council spokesman confirmed the TTROs for the footpaths had been extended as the developer is still carrying out finishing works to the estate’s spine road and surrounding areas.
The spokesman said: “The diversion route is in place, and it would be unsafe for us to open up these rights of way before all works in the areas are complete. All of their works are planned to be completed by early September.
“The current closure powers expire on November 2, 2021 and any extension beyond that date would require permission from the Secretary of State.”
Conservative Cllr Graham McAndrew is a county councillor for the Bishop’s Stortford Rural division and an East Herts district councillor for the Bishop’s Stortford South ward. He is also East Herts Council’s executive member for environmental sustainability.
He said that initially developers stated in October 2020 the footpaths would be closed for only 12 weeks. He added that “a considerable amount of work” would be needed to get them serviceable, adding that they had been obliterated.
The county council spokesman added: “We’ll be checking the restoration of the footpaths to ensure they are returned to their original condition, once the developers have finished their works.”
The Indie‘s Nature Notes columnist Jono Forgham said after visiting the site of the felled trees that it appeared their removal was “totally unnecessary”. He estimated in total they were 500 years old and perfectly healthy. Jono urged residents to keep a watch on any more tree removals.
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