George KingBBC News, Suffolk and
Luke DealBBC News, Suffolk, Middleton
Luke Deal/BBC
Steve Thorpe, Mandy Beaumont, and Catherine Richardson say they “cannot just sit” and allow the trees to be cut down
Campaigners say chopping down century-old oak trees as part of the Sizewell C nuclear power station build would be “the straw that broke the horse’s back”.
Sizewell C has notified residents in Middleton, Suffolk, that vegetation on the B1125 at Leiston Road could be cleared between the 6 and 10 October – after permission was granted.
But locals fear it will mean the loss of 10 oaks – each more than 100 years old – to improve the sight line of the 60mph stretch, which could become part of the Sizewell C Link Road system.
It remains unclear at this stage if all or any of the trees will be cut down, as project bosses say they will “only ever remove trees when we absolutely have to”.
Campaigner Catherine Richardson said the uncertainty “doesn’t make a lot of logical sense” and “there’s a lack of joined up thinking”.
“They say it will be done on an ad hoc basis when they have got the saws out,” she told the BBC.
“They’ve numbered the trees, so they are very aware of them, but they will not tell us [if they will] definitely cut down the trees.”
Luke Deal/BBC
Campaigners fear the oak trees could be cut down by those behind the Sizewell C development
According to Sizewell C, when the power plant is complete, 42 hectares (103 acres) of woodland within the site estate will have been re-established.
Between 50,000 and 100,000 trees and shrubs, plus additional hedgerows, will have been planted and a total of six nature reserves will have been created.
But Steve Thorpe, 70, said it would still be a “great shame” if the oak trees were to be felled.
“We won’t be turning down any planting of new trees and shrubs but it’s a case of conserving what we have got,” he said.
“Oak trees have an ecological significance, and it would be a great loss to lose these particular trees when it is not necessary.
“You could say this might be the straw that broke the horse’s back for us.”
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Sizewell C will generate 3.2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, enough to provide 7% of the UK’s needs
Mandy Beaumont, 63, said it would be “devastating” were the trees to be felled and suggested a reduction in the speed limit could be the answer.
“If it was reduced to 30mph the oak trees could be saved because they wouldn’t need such long sight lines,” she said.
“We just want them to stop and think before they go ahead and do, because these oaks would still be here long after Sizewell C is decommissioned.”
Sizewell C said any work it carries out would be done with “the support of ecologists and in line with our development consent order”.
“We’ll be in touch with residents about our plans for the junction of the B1122/B1125 once our designs have been finalised,” a spokesperson said.